In a recent interview, Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty was asked about his family’s willingness to “let go” of all the fame and material success for the sake of Christ. His answer is instructive: “We’ve done this [maintained faith] without success. And even not [having] as much money … we’ve always had our inner core of faith as what has sustained us and made us happy. That’s where we derived our happiness. And so, now that we have more of the other you still can look back … If it’s really in your core and you really believe it then you really shouldn’t change even though your circumstances change.”
Robertson’s emphasis on faith and the “inner core” reminds me of Paul’s exhortation: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” (Colossians 3.16 ESV). When the word is deeply embedded in the life of a person or faith community, the natural result is this: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3.17 ESV). The word embedded in the inner core results in action that is in keeping with the word.
The Lord intends that his word be embedded in life, not be a decorative layer. To embed means to implant a thing within something else so it becomes an ingrained or essential characteristic of it. On the other hand, to decorate is to make something look more attractive by adding extra items or images to it. The word is not about making us look good, it’s about transforming us to become Christ-like.
The word is merely decorative if all it does is make us look more attractive. We may have the appearance of one who is interested in the word—reading the Bible and attending all kinds of Bible studies, memorizing and quoting Scripture, maybe showing expertise in biblical interpretation. But if the word never touches the core of our being, it is nothing more than just an ornament in our lives.
The word is embedded when what we read and study reaches our core and transforms us. Jesus speaks of true disciples as those who abide in the word and in whom the word abides (John 8.31; 15.7). This is another way of speaking of the embedded word. The first letter of John makes a similar affirmation of faithful disciples: “you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2.14 ESV).
Is the word embedded in your life, or merely decorative?
—Keith Y. Jainga