When Opportunities Arise

Scripture – Colossians 4:2-6: ²Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³And 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. ⁴Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) Once again, there is a lot of meat packed into these few verses. Paul asks specifically for prayer that God would open doors for the message and that he would proclaim that message clearly. That’s not a bad prayer for me and for the church. We get so involved in serving, we easily forget we have a message of good news to proclaim, as well. I see that simple little command dropped in vs. 5: “Make the most of every opportunity.” When I have conversations with people outside the church – outside the faith; if I listen, they usually open the door to spiritual concerns. How can I make the most of that opportunity when it comes?

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I will listen carefully today as I speak with people. I will also pay attention to who I speak with. How many conversations do I actually have with non-Christian people? How could I initiate more in an authentic way?

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, I do find myself sort of spiritually isolated. That is, I’m around Christian people most of the time. Clearly, you’ve called me to serve in that context. At the same time, open other doors for your message and use me to speak clearly when those opportunities arise.

An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting tomorrow morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.

Reading for Sunday, October 7:

Scripture – Colossians 4:7-10: ⁷Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. ⁸I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. ⁹He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. ¹⁰My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)