Colossians 4:2-6
"further instructions"
Paul's parting shot before his final greetings conssists mainly of two main points: pray and be careful how you act around non-christians.
on prayer, Paul says that we should devote ourselves to it - being watchful and thankful at the same time. being watchful is being aware and receptive to the motions of the holy spirit. God will often highlight needs for others or ourselves that we often miss. being thankful should hopefully be self-explanatory. also, pray for others; particularly those who are working towards the spreading of the gospel.
on our actions around non-Christians, Paul asks that we be wise in our actions and that we make the most of every situation to spread the gospel. remember, an unwise decision could ruin a reputation and thereby a chance that people will actually listen to and take heed of the message. if you need an example, look at the many successful preachers that committed adultery - it completely ruined their witness and their ministry and, in the long run, actually hurt the gospel because the up-front televangelists, the missionaries, the pastors, the vocal christians are all representing christianity and, by extension, the rest of us. if any one of them makes an unwise choice and sins, then they could create among non-christians a sense of hypocrisy amongst us, turning them away from our message.
so then, we should pray and make wise decisions bout our actions. funny thing is, they both go hand-in hand. if we pray about a course of action, God will provide an answer that is more wise than any we could ever come up with.
so, pray now...
(it's a lost art)
(it's a lost art)
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