Colossians 4:6a – Lessons in Grace

Let your conversation be always full of grace …

Summary: Paul admonishes us to fill our conversations with outsiders with grace. While that sounds simple, understanding what grace means requires some reflection on our Lord Jesus. 

This verse is important because it is the last verse of instruction in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Everything after this involves personal business. So, let’s savor what this last sentence has to offer. 

The larger context of this passage is how we act towards “others.” My understanding of “others” in this context is people “other than” the believers who are already part of the church body. When Paul says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace …” he is talking about conversations with those who might need more grace. 

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Colossians 4:5b – Opportunity Knocking

Close up picture of an old door knocker in the shape of a lion's head.

… make the most of every opportunity.

Summary: Christian living can be confusing. People have different ideas about what it means to proclaim the Lord. This passage presents us with an opportunity to ponder what Paul is encouraging us to do. 

I have to confess that this passage makes me smile. Making the most of every opportunity sounds like something my dad would have said only he would have been talking about making money, not saving souls. 

As it turns out, this is one of those passages with a lot of variation in how it is translated. For example, the 21st Century King James Version translates the verse this way: 

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