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Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 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. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
New International Version (NIV)
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In my early years as a pastor, preachers preached a lot about gossip. One story told of a man in a church who went around spreading a bad rumor about another. When his pastor confronted him, he felt conviction and asked what to do. The pastor gave him a bag of feathers and asked him to place one on the doorstep of each person to whom he had told the story. He complied and returned and asked, “What next?” The pastor said, “Now go and regather the feathers.” “But I can’t. The wind has blown them all over the place. I could never find them.” the man explained. The Pastor said, “Neither can you retrieve the unkind words you spoke about your brother.”
Like feathers on a windy day are words misspoken. Have you ever sent an e-mail before you were ready to send it? How about a text to the wrong person? I have accidentally sent friends grocery requests by writing my text to the wrong person. I am still looking for the button that retracts our electronic communication. Surely someone will come up with it. Or if you know where it is, let me know!
Notice the word order for Paul: “Pray before you say . . .” Paul asks for prayer so that he may proclaim the mystery of Christ. He later mentions Epaphras who was always wrestling in prayer for the believers in Colosse to become mature and fully assured (4:12). How differently would we speak if we prayed first? Our words matter and they cannot be retracted.
Grace will fill our conversation if we let it. The word grace means unmerited favor. In our relationship with God, we don’t get what we deserve (Psalm 103:9-14). This means we don’t give everyone what they deserve. Instead, our words can be graceful and gracious as we live lives full of God’s grace. When we are bumped, we spill what we are full of. It usually come from our mouths. “From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Let our hearts be full of the transforming grace of Christ. When this is true, our mouths know what to say.
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Pray with me:
Father, let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable, be pleasing in your sight we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Join us in memorizing the Word. Scripture for this week:
Matthew 6:9-11
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
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| Our 2020 Every Day with Jesus readings will follow the Foundations New Testament reading plan. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy at REPLICATE.ORG
We would love for you to join us as we read the New Testament through this year, five chapters a week. In addition I will continue my long-standing practice of reading one Psalm a day through the year. Use Robby Gallaty’s H. E. A. R. plan to study each chapter (also found at REPLICATE.ORG). Highlight verses which speak to you, explain what they mean in your own words in a journal, apply them to your own life, then respond by doing what God tells you to do.
Joyfully,
Duane
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