Dwell
There are various applications for the word 'dwell'. I plan to apply it to our thought life.
What we allow our souls to dwell on matters. One of Jesus' apostles, named John the Beloved, understood this. He wrote the following,
3John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
The word prosper as it is used here means to succeed. It can mean success in business, travel, or achieving a goal. The word prospers shares the same meaning. The word "health" refers to physical and emotional well-being, as well as a state of security.
So what is it that we should allow our souls to dwell on in order to experience this of which John spoke?
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
I love meditating on this passage because it reveals a hidden gem of truth regarding the effect of right dwelling.
First, we should consider the word "Let." This encourages us to allow and give permission. Have you ever considered the idea that any and every thought you have ever dwelled on in your soul had to receive permission from you to do so?
Have you also noticed that your soul has become conditioned over time to welcome some thoughts more readily than others?
This reveals to me that when it comes to what we dwell on in our soul, we can choose to be more intentional if we desire a better condition of our soul. In the case of the passage from Colossians, we can dwell on the word of Christ. Notice it is the word of Christ, not the words of Christ.
The way I understand this is that I am to allow the word concerning Christ to dwell in me richly in all wisdom. I am to allow it to dwell in me to the degree that it begins to produce an outcome. It overflows to the degree that I begin to speak of it to teach and admonish others in the form of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that are an outflow of the grace that has made it's home in my heart and now desires to sing to the Lord in gratitude for all that He has done.
Let me explain it this way: if I am trying to fill a pitcher with water but the pitcher keeps moving around, rather than dwelling in one place, it will be difficult to fill it to the point of overflow. Therefore, the idea of dwelling means staying in one place to get the most out of being there. In this case, it is the word of Christ!
Could we ever exhaust the beauty of the truth concerning Christ and how His obedience has so richly impacted our lives and continues to do so?
Might I encourage you today to take some time to dwell?
