Colossians 4:1-6 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Colossians 4:1-6. Let’s go!
Colossians 4:1 (NIV)
1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
On verse 1: If you’re a boss who employs others, verse 1 applies to you. Provide your employees with what is right and fair. Don’t take advantage of your employees by low-balling them. Pay them a good, right and fair wage. And why? It’s not just for their good. Even more, it’s because we all have a Master, a boss in heaven who is committed to taking good care of us and who expects us to do the same with those we employ.
Colossians 4:2-4 (NIV)
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
On verses 2-4: Three times in three consecutive verses Paul urges the Colossians to pray. As talented, experienced and anointed as Paul was, Paul recognized how important it is to be devoted to prayer. How about you? Are you a man of prayer, a woman of prayer?
Possibly the most important thing you will ever do – for your family, your church, your relationship with God, your ministry and your overall well-being – is to cultivate the habit of praying often, persistently and with faith. As we like to say here at Thrive, “Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power.”
By the way, notice in verse 2 how Paul again writes about being thankful. Thankfulness is a running theme in Colossians (1:3; 1:12; 3:
Colossians 4:5 (NIV)
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
On verse 5: God cares about how we treat those who are new to the Christian faith, new to church or who don’t go to church. How well do you treat those who are new to church or new to faith?
How can you make the most of every opportunity with them?
– When you meet someone new at church, don’t just give the short token greeting. Make it your priority to welcome them and get to know them, all of course with wisdom and safety in mind.
– After the service is over, don’t just go find your old church friends. You can always spend time with them later that day. Instead, go out of your way to find those who are new. Welcome them, love them and serve them. Involve your old church friends in welcoming them too. Let them feel the love of Jesus in you for them. You don’t know when will be the next time you’ll get to see them, so as Paul says, “make the most of every opportunity”.
– If you’re not sure what to say to someone who is new, remember CORK (4 types of questions you can ask someone who is new to church):
C – Church (Who brought you to Thrive? How did you find out about our church? Have you ever been to church before? Was today’s service what you expected church would be like?)
O – Occupation (Are you studying? Are you working?)
R – Recreation (What do you like to do for fun?)
K – Kin (family) (Do you have lots of family here in Vancouver? Did you grow up here in Vancouver?)
You might not always know what to say, but God is with you. As long as you go with an attitude to love that person, they will see your heart and God will make you a blessing to that person.
– When someone opens up about a problem in their life, be open to praying for that person.
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
On verse 6: What does it mean to “let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt”? It means to always speak encouraging, comforting words that reflect God’s love and care for others. Whether the person you’re talking to has questions about God or about your church, always speak with the attitude of “God, let me be a blessing to this person”. Your tone and your attitude are just as important, if not more important, than what you actually say.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the best Master to us. Thank You for modelling for us what it means to be devoted to prayer. And thank You for loving us when we were outsiders to Your kingdom. It was Your love that brought us in. May I be more like You in all of these ways. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
