Day 28 - Open Doors (Col 4:3-4)

³ At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— ⁴ that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Colossians 4:3-4

Paul’s prayer request while sitting in a Roman prison? Open doors to proclaim the gospel. The thing that got him in prison in the first place is the thing he is asking for prayers to be able to do more of. His blinding encounter with the risen Jesus not only changed his life, it changed his mission and passion.

He uses the word mystery again. Think about a mystery game or novel. Some unknown or unanswered thing is out there. Gradually and methodically clues are introduced. Some very telling and some a bit more hidden. Clues mount and more information is uncovered until the climax where the clues all come together and the mystery is revealed. This is how it is in the Bible. The Gospel was always there, but it was slowly presented and slowly unveiled. Paul was given a final clue to understand the mystery and begin, with the apostles who walked with Jesus, to declare it to the world. He takes this responsibility very seriously. As should we.

We are often so eager to share good news. Why aren’t we as eager to share THE good news, the Gospel? I think part of the problem is we don’t really know how. We aren’t sure how to approach it, what to say, or how to say it.

Paul says we should make It clear. Not using confusing Christianese, but rather plain, clear language. It is about walking with people and in relevant ways showing in words and actions the good news. I think the gradual revelation of the mystery is similar to the conversations that happen walking through open doors. It isn’t a theological doctrine dump, but rather the building of conversations over time. Slowly making the gospel known as the people in our circles see how we live and engage in conversation.

Jesus says of the kingdom of heaven…

³¹ He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” ³³ He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Matthew 13:31-33

Not every conversion is like Paul’s with a flash of blinding light and a chat with the resurrected Jesus. Most are as described by Jesus in the parables above. Little seeds that are watered and have time to grow. Yeast that in a very small measure slowly changes the composition of the bread. It is little conversations and actions that pique interest, questions and more discussion over time. It is plain, clear speech in everyday life situations where doors are opened. Christ in us equips us for these conversations.

Paul is praying for open doors. He planted churches, he preached the Word to so many people in so many places who then planted churches. But now here he is in prison. Might he be thinking doors that were once open to him were now closed? What does he do with this time? He writes letters. Something he may not have had time to do if we were out planting more churches. I wonder what he thinks in heaven watching us today reading from one of the four letters he wrote from prison. These prison letters and the other nine he wrote make him the most influential writer of the best-selling book of all time. Oh, doors were open. He didn’t see it at the time, but the impact he had because of his passion, perseverance, and single-minded focus on Jesus regardless of his circumstances is mind blowing.

If like Paul, you feel all the doors around you are closed, let this encourage you that they are more open than you think. Be persistent. Keep praying. Do what God is telling you to do. Your “letters” [obedience] will have far more impact than you can see once God gets his hands on it.

But I suspect most of us recognize that there are open doors all around us, we just aren’t walking through them. We just need to take mustard-seed-yeast-size steps. If we really believed the news was as good as we say it is, we would want it to be told.

God, please give me vision to see, and then the courage and wisdom to walk through, the open doors you strategically have placed all around me. I know that it is you who does all the work. Give me words and actions that backed by your power can make the mystery of the gospel clearly known.

Day 27 - The Boss, The Year of Jubilee, The Steadfast Prayer (Col 4:1-2)

4 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.² Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:1-2

Paul continues with his relational instructions, this time to employers. As workers in many different capacities, we are called to work as if for the Lord. But those in charge have responsibilities too. They are to treat employees justly and fairly. They may be large and in charge in their work space, but ultimately God is the boss.

In doing a little research on the mater/bondservant relationship, there is a redemptive approach to God’s instructions to His people. Not only does God instruct us to have weekly Sabbath time to rest, He instructs His people to have a sort of Sabbath year to renew and reset all things.

⁸ “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. ⁹ Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. ¹⁰ And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. Leviticus 25:8-9

The Jubilee was a Sabbath year after seven times seven years (49 years). It was a year to celebrate and rejoice. It was a year to release prisoners, captives, indebtedness, bondage. Debt was forgiven. Land was returned. God didn’t intend for any inequities to continue.

I love to see the foreshadowing of Jesus in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before He set foot on earth. In the Year of Jubilee, we get a picture of the redemption, freedom, slate wiped clean, restoration that would come with Jesus. This time in the form of freedom from literal slavery. And notice when it happens…on the day of atonement. The day one time a year that the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and make a sacrifice for the sins of the people.

Look how Jesus begins His ministry as told by Luke…

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.²¹ And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21

Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah and tells them today the Scripture has been fulfilled. Jesus came proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor – the year of Jubilee – and not just for another 49 years, but forever. Captivity and oppression from sin no more. The debt was forgiven.

Prayer

Immediately after the instructions regarding relationships, Paul brings up prayer. We are unable to perform our duties without a dedicated, devoted, disciplined prayer life. Our connection to God via prayer is essential.

Three specific instructions are given regarding prayer:  steadfast, watchful, grateful. According to dictionary.com…

Steadfast – firm in direction and purpose; unwavering; resolute

Watchful – vigilant; alert; closely observant

Grateful – warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane fervently praying before His crucifixion, He tells His disciples to do the same.

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

Prayer helps align our weak flesh with the spirit. We have to pray firm in direction – to God, seeking His will. We have to pray on purpose – make time for it. We have to be unwavering and resolute in our prayer time. We have to be alert and observant to God’s voice as we speak to Him in prayer. And in all, we have to be deeply appreciative of what God has done for us and the power available to us.

When I think about my personal prayer time, I’m definitely convicted by these instructions.

Indeed, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  The solution…continue in steadfast, watchful, grateful prayer.

Day 26 - Work as for the Lord (Col 3:23-25)

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Colossians 3:23-25

How hard do you work for your boss? I saw some statistics that said 85% of employees said they could work harder at their jobs, and over half thought they could double their efficiency if they wanted to. I wouldn’t consider that working heartily. Paul would have some harsh words for the respondents of this survey, especially for the Christians.

As Christians, we are to be set apart and live different than the world around us. This includes how we work. And if you are in the minority 15%, or don’t have a paying job, you aren’t quite off the hook.

In wherever God has placed us, in whatever we are doing, we can view it as our ministry space to work for the Lord. There will always be opportunities to share the gospel in word or deed, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, or to show love to our neighbors. Our Christianity shouldn’t be compartmentalized. It should spill over into all areas of our lives. Wherever we are, God had a hand in putting us there. Our “work spaces”, whatever they might be, can be sacred spaces.

In each interaction as we go through our day, we are encountering Jesus…

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:31-40

No matter our age, position, experience, sphere of influence…we encounter Jesus…in the cubicle next to us, in the big corner window office with a view, in the classroom, on the soccer field, at the airport, in the waiting room, on the dance floor, in the grocery store, across the street, on social media. And we have an assignment from God. We can choose to work halfheartedly or heartily for the Lord. This will be the basis for our reward, which will come not from earthly men and women, but from God Himself.

We are big fans of justice when we are the ones who have been cheated or wronged. Not so much when we are the offenders. Verse 25 tells us there will be no partiality. Our rewards for hard work and right living will come from God; likewise, our wrongdoing will be punished by God. As Christians, our salvation is secure, but how we live our lives will still be evaluated and judged. Just because we don’t earn our salvation doesn’t mean we are off the hook for working hard.

We serve the Lord.  We should strive for excellence in all we do.

So WHATEVER we do, we should work HEARTILY, as for the LORD, and not for men. 

Day 25 - Submission, Love, Obedience...Oh My! (Col 3:18-22)

¹⁸ Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. ²² Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Colossians 3:18-22

In our culture, for many, these passages rub people the wrong way. Some immediately get defensive and frankly, it turns many people off. But it is important to dig in to understand the essence of what Paul is trying to teach the Colossians and us. God is a God of order, not chaos. And this applies to family structure and relationships.

How we live in our relationships often reveals God’s position in our lives and hearts. Do our relationships reflect Christ in us?

As Christians, we are to submit to God’s authority and obey His commands. And not to earn any favor (we could never achieve that), but as a response to what He has done for us as Creator and Savior.

But obedience and submission are so incredibly hard for us. They go against our nature and against what society tells us…be independent, go your own way, take charge of your own life, you are the only one in charge of you. So how in the world do we learn to submit and be obedient?

Paul presents several relational examples of how this is developed in us. As spouses, as children, as employees. In each of these roles we have to learn submission in different ways.

It is important to realize that submission doesn’t mean passively sitting by, a doormat lacking any individual thoughts, abilities and aspirations. It also doesn’t indicate a lesser-than status. We are all created in God’s image and are all equally valued by Him. That is essential to keep in mind.

Note that Paul says it is submission as fitting to the Lord. It is submitting in a manner that honors the Lord and is alignment with His character, not submission just at the whim of another person. It is doing the things that God wants us to do and live a life God wants us to live. We should desire this as well.

In Ephesians Paul adds additional detail around the role of husbands.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…Ephesians 5:25

The instruction to submit is addressed to the wives…not the husbands. The instruction for the husbands isn’t to enforce submission or to rule over their wives, but to love them…as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. That is a tall charge. If families truly loved and respected and submitted in this manner, the power and influence of the family would be huge, rather than falling apart as it feels like it Is in our society today!

When wives recognize a husband’s authority…support, encourage, lift-up husbands; and husbands deeply love their wives; and children obey; and workers work with sincere hearts as unto the Lord…THIS is how a Christian community can make a difference in the world.

In our culture of individualism, self-centeredness, and rights, we don’t like the idea of submission and obedience. We want to live however we decide is best for us. But it is a shallow, prideful, egocentric, short-sided way of thinking. We have to trust God’s design and God’s plans. God is for us…big time…not against us!

I think back to a time when these kinds of verses would really bother me. But as I reflect on when and why, it really had more to do with my hard heart and selfishness. If we feel a tang of defensiveness, we need to look at our hearts. We are likely struggling with control and/or pride. We are fighting the call to obedience.

Take a step back and look at Jesus as an example. Who can ever claim any rights greater than His?

Jesus, though equal with God, submitted to God the Father. He didn’t get bent out of shape that He was too good, too holy, too Godly, too perfect (though He was all those things) to submit to anyone else. Instead, Jesus tells us that everything He did and said were under the submission of, and in obedience to, God the Father…

John 5:19-Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

John 5:30 – By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

John 8:28-29 – So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.  The one who has sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

John 12:49-50 – For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

And as Paul explains to the Philippians, Jesus lives out the ultimate life of humility, submission, and obedience…

³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:3-8

Paul (through God’s revelation to him) isn’t trying to push us down, or diminish our value or position. We are all equally valuable children of God with an enormous mission to be the Church during our short time on this planet. In fact, Paul doesn’t even go here without first making sure we understand Christ is the head of everything and there is not distinction or label in Christ…we are all one.

Love must reign in our hearts and lives. And this looks a lot like love, humility, submission and obedience. But it is FOR US, never against us or to lessen our calling and influence. Bitterness over submission or status only reveals pride and undermines our potential. We are all created in the image and likeness of God with a unique purpose. With Jesus as our example, let’s not waste any valuable time squandering our mission and purpose! 

Day 24 - Sing Songs and Hymns and Spiritual Songs (Col 3: 16-17)

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16-17

I am not musically inclined at all. I can’t sing, play an instrument, or even read music. I’m a wordy book girl. I love to dig into the Bible, read old sermons online, listen to podcasts. But there is something about music that stirs my soul, especially in a worship setting, like nothing else.

I used to think of music in a church setting as a kind of add-on thing to the main thing. Something to warm people up and kill time waiting for latecomers to arrive before getting to the good stuff, and then something to wrap the service up. I’m not sure when, but a shift occurred where I realized worship was an integral part of a Christian community coming together (I’m a slow learner!). The music isn’t for us as the recipient. God is the recipient…it is an act of worshiping God. We sing to Him. We lift our voices in unison – as a united people – in praise to God. It gets our soul in sync with Him in preparation to study His holy Word. And we end service in response to the study of the Word, again praising and thanking Him.

Think about it…some people love to read, some hate it. Some people love to write, some hate it. Some people like to speak in front of crowds, some hate it. But everyone loves music. Not necessarily the same kind of music, but everyone likes music. In God’s creativity and love of order, God created music. Melodies and rhythms with endless combinations to tell stories, remember God’s Word, praise God. And God sings over us…

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

When I focus on the lyrics, so often I am moved to tears as I join in worship at church. And to glance over and see someone with their eyes closed, hands up, clearly moved by worship just gets me. I actually used to pray that I wouldn’t cry because I was embarrassed what those around me would think. A friend once told me she thought it was the holy spirit’s presence that brought her to tears. I like that thought. Our reaction to worship is a result of the spirit of God showing Himself and moving in and around us as we come together in joint worship. It is a beautiful thing to be in active worship to our God. Now when I am overcome by emotion in response to workshop, it causes me to pause and thank God for revealing Himself to me in such a special, personal way. I feel like God is close and I can’t help but express gratitude to Him.

King David, of whom God called a man after His own heart, is constantly singing, playing instruments, worshiping. In fact, when his predecessor Saul was still king, David was summoned to play music for him.

And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. 1 Samuel 16:23

Or how about that one time when Paul and Silas were in prison…

²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, ²⁶ and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. Acts 16:25-26

At midnight, in prison, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And the jailer watching guard over them was converted and baptized following this miraculous event in response to the prayers and worship of these two men.

I think there is more power in music, especially hymns and worship music than we normally give thought to.

Music also helps commit things to memory. In Biblical times there wasn’t a wide range of written documents available. Instead, God’s Word was passed along from person to person, family to family. Words were set to song to help people remember them. There is something about putting words to music that make them so much more memorable.

Through hymns and worship music, God’s Word is set to melodies that help teach and admonish us in wisdom. We get to join corporately with one voice in united worship. And we do it all in the name of Jesus, with thankful hearts.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! ² Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Psalm 96:1-2

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. Psalm 104:33

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

**

My former pastor posted this video yesterday about the origins of the song Amazing Grace. THIS just might be what worship in heaven might sound like. These verses about singing follow Paul’s message of oneness and unity, ”here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all”(Col 3:11). AMAZING Grace. For all.

Day 23 - Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Your Hearts (Col 3:14-15)

¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:14-15

Paul’s list from the passages we looked at yesterday doesn’t quite come to an end yet. One more of critical importance…love. Why is love such a big deal?

Love is the secret ingredient that binds everything together. It is the glue that connects all other attributes together. And it doesn’t just sloppily keep it all together, it does it in perfect harmony…perfect agreement, perfect accord.

So how do we put on love? What is love really?

I think we typically think of love as something that is tied to feelings and emotions. And if we are honest, it is conditional on us getting something in return. The divorce rate speaks for itself. People once deeply in love fall out of love. The conditions they expected weren’t met. The feelings and emotions just aren’t there or aren’t the same.

1 John 4:8 tells us God is love. His being…who He is…is love. Not that He feels love, or expresses love, or created love, but that HE IS LOVE. He is love and He loves.

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

This kind of love isn’t conditional. He loved us and gave of Himself knowing that we would not reciprocate. Jesus died for all of us on the cross, not a select few. We didn’t have to clean up or prove ourselves worthy or do anything for it. It wasn’t based on any condition on our part. We just accept it.

Can we even wrap our head around unconditional love? How can we have that type of love in us that will be the glue that bonds compassion, humility, meekness, forgiveness, patience together? What would any of those things be without love? They would be conditional external actions to get some type of benefit…in how we are viewed, how we are praised, how we are seen as team players or “good” Christians perhaps. Without love, perfect harmony in these things doesn’t exist. And we can’t fake it forever. Without the foundation of love, we can’t maintain this new self.

The two greatest commands – the ones that bind all others together in perfect harmony – are to love God and love others. Earlier in Colossians, Paul said that the hearts of the church may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ. Love is the mortar connecting and securing all other commands and helping us understand the gospel.

And I think it is worth camping on this concept, because we can fake it for a while, but things won’t change without love. There will never be unity in the church without love. Our new self will slip off without being secured by love.

When our culture is so focused on self, achievement, personal accolades, how can we manage to break out of it all and be different and truly love in an unconditional way? Honestly, I find the academics of Christianity so much easier than the love. We can study and learn more and wrestle with concepts, but this changes our head and not our hearts.

I think it is why Paul spent the first two chapters and the beginning of this chapter bringing it back to Jesus. Only by truly believing God is who He says He is, that Jesus is before all, that Jesus is sufficient for all we need, and setting our mind constantly on the things above rather than the thing all around us.

I think it is why we need the third part of the trinity, the Holy Spirit, in us. Because no matter our intentions and how hard we try, we can’t do it on our own in this body. 

As Paul’s letter to the Colossians unfolds, he isn’t moving from one theological area to another. He is laying a foundation for how this new self is possible. Only through Christ as supreme and in us.

Paul tells us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. In our heads we can’t muster up peace, but we can let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, where love lives.

Think about what causes lack of peace in your life. Not being in control of outcomes, broken relationships, not getting what we want, things not going our way, uncertainty about the future. Look at these things carefully. If we truly believed and trusted God…if He were truly Lord of our lives…these things would not cause us to be in such a state of anxiety. Our level of peace correlates to our level of faith and belief. We need to let the peace OF Christ…the peace FROM TRUSTING Christ…RULE in our hearts. Let it take charge and authority over anything else brewing in our hearts.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

We don’t want the “peace” the world has to offer…temporary, fragile, dependent on circumstances, often in pursuit of things opposed to God. The world will not give us peace. In the world we will have tribulation and trials. Jesus promises a different kind of peace, directly from Him in us.

And we are to be thankful. For God being in charge, not us. For peace that is better than anything the world has to offer. For an example of love, and the power to love given to us.