Starts and Ends with Him – Colossians 4 (NIV)
Starts and Ends with Him – Colossians (NIV)
As Paul winds down his letter, he gives some closing instructions. He talks about being prayerful and watchful and to pray for their (Paul and company) work in sharing the gospel, to make the most of every opportunity. Then he adds a bit about dealing with non-believers/outsiders…
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
I like the feel of these suggestions. Be wise, efficient/opportunistic, gracious and "seasoned with salt." Interesting word choice. I think he’s covering both sides: gracious but not flaccid. We can be gracious and loving but that doesn’t mean we bend on truth.
He’s sending Tychicus and Onesimus to them to report on all the things going on and conditions. Several others send their greetings through Paul.
He tells the Colossians to exchange letters with the Laodiceans to read each of them. It seems Paul felt the messages were specific for each but also helpful to all (like us).
There’s a quick call out to Archippus telling him to complete the ministry he received in the Lord. Apparently he (probably Philemon’s son) was ministering to the Colossians (likely due to Epaphras’ absence) but wasn’t fulfilling his role. Archippus, the Colossians and all of us need to be determined to be complete in Christ and fulfill the tasks He’s given us.
Being gracious and seasoned with salt while making the most of every opportunity while devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful… that’s a lot to do and that’s just this chapter. Paul clearly was hoping to encourage the Colossians to be solid and complete. That can only be done "in Christ."
It seems to me, at my age, the only way to do that is to "set your heart on it." Long for it. Find the devoted motivation to want it exceedingly. Just wanting it and then making up for the rest with discipline and forced effort is only sustainable by the very few (and I don’t mean that as a compliment to those). That type of emotionless discipline comes from a harsh place.
I say all of this from experience. I lived for decades as, seemingly, the most disciplined person around. But it was all founded in fear and pain though I didn’t know it. While I believe the Lord loves obedience and devotion, I don’t believe He wants it strictly out of a dark place like that.
To be complete in Him requires the "in Him" more than anything else. It starts and ends with Him.
* Paul’s Prayer
* Kingdom of His Son
* Reconciled
* Solid, Not Deceived
* Alive with Christ
* Human Commands
* Minds on Things Above
* Forgive as Christ
* All in His Name
* Prayerful, Watchful, Thankful
* Gracious, Seasoned with Salt
* Closing with Archipuss