Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
[Devote yourselves to prayer,] being watchful and thankful.
Summary: With two simple words Paul ties the topic of prayer to two of the most powerful scenes in the life of Jesus.
When we devote ourselves to prayer, as Paul says, to “pray without ceasing,”* he tells us to be “watchful and thankful.”
The Greek word for “watchful” is “grēgoreúō,” meaning the same as the English word. Paul wants us to keep awake and be vigilant.
Continue reading “Colossians 4:2b – A Praying Attitude”
Devote yourselves to prayer …
Summary: When Paul tells us to do something, it always helps to understand the words he uses. “Prayer” is a common word, but its definition is not so common.
In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul writes, “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought…” (Romans 8:26, KJV)
Think about that for a moment. Is he right? Do we know how to pray or not? Let’s look at what the Bible teaches about prayer.
Continue reading “Colossians 4:2a – Thinking About God”
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
Summary: Paul, after pointing out our responsibilities, points to an interesting fact about the people we report to. We all have a “Master in heaven.”
Until now, Paul has been talking to the people who serve others. In this passage, he “flips the script” and goes after the bosses in charge of the workers.
Bosses are people, too, but sometimes they forget that.
Continue reading “Colossians 4:1 – Dangerous Ground”
Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
Summary: Wrestling with Paul’s letters is not an easy task. Paul’s thinking can be complicated, and the context of his thoughts obscure. Today’s passage gives us plenty to ponder.
In the beginning of Paul’s letter, he “sets the table” with this statement:
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (Colossians 1:21-23)
Continue reading “Colossians 3:25 – A Warning”
It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Summary: How we live testifies to what we believe.
It is significant that Paul should return to these words: “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” He has already told us to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:17). Now, he points out it is Jesus whom we serve.
Why does he say this?
Continue reading “Colossians 3:24b – Serving Jesus”… since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
Summary: In this passage, Paul introduces the concept of our “inheritance in the Lord.” How we understand our spiritual life has a lot of influence on how we understand this passage.
Ah! Now we get down to brass tacks! If we do all this stuff for Jesus, what do we get out of it?
This is where theology gets hard.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:24a – Self-Interest”
… as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
Summary: Decoding the Bible means being willing to look at things from God’s point of view.
Have you ever wondered what earth looks like from heaven?
I know … It is not really a fair question. It assumes that spiritual beings “see” the same way that physical beings see.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:23b – Working for Jesus”
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart …
Summary: Paul’s choice of words in this passage opens the door to a way of living that brings us closer to God and closer to the way we were intended to live.
I have a confession to make:
Sometimes, when I come to a place where Scripture repeats itself several times, I simply want to refer back to the first time and say, “Well, we have already talked about this so let’s skip ahead to the next verse.”
Continue reading “Colossians 3:23a – A Life-Giving Force”
… and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
Summary: Paul continues his admonition to obey our earthly bosses with detailed instructions as to how we should serve them.
In our last meditation, we looked at what it means to be a servant. Essentially, the modern-day equivalent is having a job.
If we look at Paul’s text that way, it is easy to see that his words still have value.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:22b – Serving Jesus”
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything …
Summary: Understanding Paul’s words often depends on understanding the Greek word he uses. In this case, the word “slave” can be misleading if we don’t look deeper.
The use of the word “slaves” in this passage is disturbing to a lot of people. It should be. Forcing people to serve us under threat of torture or death is horrible. It is basically stealing people’s lives from them.
If this passage were all about slaves, we could skip it and move on.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:22a – Doing Our Job Well”