Be Wise

Colossians 4:5-6 Paul is writing this letter to the church at Colosse from prison. He can’t come to them personally, so he writes to them to remind and encourage them in their struggle to live as Christians in a hostile world. In this section, near the end of his letter, he is giving them some pointers as to how to react and respond towards those outside the faith. Because we find ourselves in much the same kind of situations, we can also profit if we take Paul’s advice to heart. Paul stresses the importance of prayer. “Be devoted to prayer!” Prayer is not only getting the mind of Christ into our endeavors, but it is also a way of getting our minds and hearts prepared and also to soften up the ground in preparation of planting the Gospel. Paul requests prayers as he shares the Gospel. We wouldn’t be praying for Paul, but we would do well to be in prayer for pastors and missionaries whose calling it is to preach the Gospel. Paul gives us some valuable pointers on how we can minister to those outside the faith. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders. Remember everyone needs Christ, not just those who are struggling with life’s problems. Everyone that we encounter is a candidate for salvation. You certainly won’t have an opportunity to share the Gospel with everyone you meet every time you meet them; but our words, actions and attitudes should never be inconsistent with the character of Christ. We are to make the most of every opportunity. Watch for opportunities to share your faith or give glory to God. Speak the truth in love with words that are gentle, kind and inviting. Always be ready and able to kindly tell people what you believe and why you believe it. Be able to tell what Christ has done in your life, especially as it relates to the situation at hand.

Be Wise - I