Colossians 4:2-6 NLT
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
What is the primary purpose of being a Christian?
Matthew 28:19-20 NLT
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
When we respond to the calling of our Lord and Savior, we will experience a shift in our hearts. This shift will produce a desire to be in the Word of God, to spend time in prayer, and a more compassionate view of those around us.
If you don’t feel this desire, stop reading this, and get on your knees and ask God to produce this desire in your heart. Continue asking until it is manifest in your life.
This desire should be dominant in your life as much as breathing and eating are.
In the verses from Colossians 4:2-6, we are commanded to:
1. “Devote ourselves to prayer with an alert mind and thankful heart.” Grateful for everything that the Lord has provided us and paying attention to what we are thinking.
Proverbs 4:23 NLT
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Guarding our hearts requires a vigilant effort to pay attention to what we allow to get into our minds, what we consume in our media, and conversations (especially conversations with ourselves).
What we allow into our minds will eventually affect our hearts.
2. “Pray for us, too, that God will provide the opportunities…” to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And that our spiritual leaders labor to deliver the message in a clear and precise manner.
We are to pray for our spiritual leaders for the opportunities to explain the Gospel and also that it is clear and sound.
Some of these opportunities will come from our efforts. By the people that we ask to “come and see.”
3. “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.”
Where do we get wisdom? From a consistent study of the Bible.
Who are the non-believers? They are everywhere around us.
These people are at our place of work.
They are in our families.
They are in our sports teams.
We should be living in a manner that these people should never be able to put their fingers on anything we are doing and say, “See, you call yourself a Christian!”
Not to say that we will be perfect, but if we go out into this world expecting it to live up to our Holy standard while we do not, it has every right to call us on our hypocrisy.
Living like this takes a humble and submitted spirit.
Everyone is growing at the pace that God has planned; our focus needs to be primarily on our growth by His hands.
And our focus should be on our contribution to helping others grow as well, knowing that it will be by God’s hand that this growth will take place, not ours.
4. “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so you will have the right response for everyone.”
By definition, Gracious is “courteous, kind, and pleasant.”
By definition, Attractive is “having beneficial qualities or features that induce someone to accept what is being offered.”
This will manifest to the degree with the results you get by living your life submitted to God’s Will.
What does that mean?
If your life is a “whoa is me, life”, this will not be attractive to anyone.
But if you live your life, fluidly moving from one trial to the next with a gracious, grateful, and joyful spirit, people will see this, and this will be attractive. It will also be encouraging and inspirational.
Living this way can only come from a heart submitted to the Will of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Heavenly Father, Thank You.
Thank You for Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that He made to set us free from our sins.
I pray that You provide me the desire to live my life submitted to Your Will and that Your Word dwells richly in my mind and heart.
I pray that everything that I do glorifies You in every way.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
