“And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17, New English Translation)

Reading other people’s mail is fun.  Sometimes, however, we find out that the letter is to us and about us after all.  In Colossians 3-4, the Apostle Paul is giving some helpful advice about how to live to an ancient church.  Strangely enough, it might also speak to decisions we all need to make on a daily basis.

Take Colossians 3:17 for example.  N.T. Wright comments,

“Paul now closes the circle which began at 2:6. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acting ‘in someone’s name’ means both representing him and being empowered to do so. Paul’s exhortation is therefore a salutary check on behaviour (‘can I really do this, if I am representing the Lord Jesus?’) and an encouragement to persevere with difficult tasks undertaken for him, knowing that necessary strength will be provided. And again Paul adds the characteristic emphasis: giving thanks to God the Father through him. The centre of Christian living is grateful worship, which is to affect ‘whatever we do’: since ‘all things’ have been created through Christ and also, in principle, redeemed through him, Christians can do all that they do, whether it be manual work,  political activity, raising a family, writing a book, playing tennis, or whatever, in his name and with gratitude. Jesus, the true divine and human image of God, the one whose cross secured our reconciliation, is the reason for our gratitude, and the one ‘through whom’ we can now offer that gratitude to the Father himself.” (N.T. Wright, The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and Philemon : An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentary, pp 150-151. )

While this is true, it is also true that, if I cannot do something “in the name of Jesus,” I had better leave it alone.  And I can think of lots of things that I can’t do in the name of Jesus, or with gratitude.

One of the less serious examples is playing word games on my computer.  Now, I hear someone saying, “Good grief!  What on earth is wrong with that?!”

And the answer is, absolutely nothing—for some people.  However, I am not some people.  I’m just me.  And the person that is just me doesn’t have any business playing word games on my computer.  The reason is simple: I will tell myself that I’ll just play one game.  However, I know I’m lying to myself even when I say this.

Two hours later, I’m still playing, my hands are hurting, I’ve neglected to write my daily blog, I  haven’t been preparing for classes I’m teaching, I haven’t done some tasks around the house that need to be done, and I’m feeling horrible about myself.  So, I play some more word games on my computer.

If I can’t play word games in the name of Jesus, or if I can’t be thankful for doing so, then I had better leave it alone.  While it is very important to say and do things in the name of Jesus and with a spirit of gratitude, it is also very important to refuse to say or do things when I can’t, with a good conscience, do them in the name of Jesus with gratitude.  Stationed beside the doors of all choices are two armed guards: The Name and Gratitude.  I need to let these guards do their job.