I've been pondering this question today: with all the time that has been allotted for each of us during this Coronavirus quarantine, have we used it wisely?
Thankfully, my time has been spent mostly at the church, where we've been limited but still active in preparation for the season to come, but even still there has been many periods where I've been given the free time to make an active choice with what to do with my time. Have I used that time wisely?
This past Sunday I preached on Colossians 3:12-17, specifically on making time each day to put off your old self and put on the image of Christ in its place so that we can walk every day toward sanctification: becoming holier today than I was yesterday.
At the end of Paul's admonishment to the church at Colossae to put on the image of Christ comes three instructions on how we utilize our time each day:
3:17- "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
3:23-24- "Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ."
4:17- "Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it."
As I think about these instructions, I come back to that question: am I using my time wisely?
If I put on the image of Christ, but neglect my time or use it foolishly, am I really walking in sanctification? Am I really becoming holier and being a reflection of the Spirit living within me?
I guess what I am asking myself today is this: when I stand before the Father at judgment and He and I look back on the downtime that I have had during the quarantine, will He be proud of what I've done with it?
Have the things that I've done and said been done in the name of the Lord Jesus? Have they been a good reflection of the faith and trust I have in Him?
Have the things I have done been accomplished enthusiastically for the Lord? Are they worthy of the reward of inheritance?
Have the things I have done and said during this time of quarantine helped me to accomplish the ministry that God has called me to do?
Every day, just as I actively choose to put aside my old flesh, put on the image of Christ and work toward sanctification, I must also choose to actively use my time in a productive manner, in a way that will put a smile on my Father's faith. At least, that's where I want to get to.
Are you there with me? Maybe there's some procrastination going on. Maybe some of you don't even know what the ministry that God has called you to is. Use this time to discover what that calling is!
Use this time to do those little things that make your heart come alive!
"The glory of God is in man fully alive." St. Irenaeus
God is glorified when we are obedient in doing the things that bring us mental, emotional and spiritual health! And we are much more likely to commit to actively glorifying Him when we are walking around with beating, healthy spiritual hearts.
Use your time wisely! Don't complain about being locked down; write that book that God put on your heart! Paint that amazing painting! Build healthy, life-changing relationship with your kids! Get active and healthy. Write music- sing out praises to the Father!
Things will return to normalcy before you know it- and we'll be right back into the swing of "being too busy" to accomplish .... whatever it is that your heart is secretly crying out for your to accomplish.
Use this time, this blessing of a slow down, wisely, my friends.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Fathers, Guard Your Command
Fathers in our culture are portrayed as out-of-touch, overly religious, counter-cultural fuddy-duddies or as rambling, bumbling idiots with nothing worthwhile to contribute except corny dad jokes or uncomfortable "uncool" dad moments.
And because of the cultural shift around us, too many dads are content with sitting back and letting the culture redefine what family should look like, what their role as father should look like. Too many dads have abandoned the idea of being the stalwart warrior and protector of the kingdom that God has placed them in command over, preferring instead to abdicate command to their wives and spend their time tinkering in the garage with a beer in one hand and a tv remote in the other, or worse yet, disappearing altogether and allowing their one-time "baby mama" to go it alone.
True masculinity is decried as toxic and to be avoided and fathers are pushed into the background of our families and our culture, and yet we wonder "Where did the MEN go? Where did the FATHERS go?"
Why are our children becoming more confused, less secure and less grounded? Look no further than the loss of authentic fatherhood in our western, post-modern, post-Christian society. Look no further than the cultural trash heap where fathers have been relegated.
Growing up fatherless, I see this firsthand in myself. My dad wrestled with many demons, none as influential as his own relationship with his father, and decided that running from them would be the best course of action, leaving me without the most important influence in my life - even though I long ago pledged that I would be a good, Godly father and husband and not do things the way my dad did them, and even though growing up I had Godly men who came alongside me and tried to fill some of the empty roles that my dad did not fill, there are still areas of fatherhood where I am inadequate because I didn't learn those things through the intense influence of a father/ son relationship. There are things that I've had to learn from fatherhood books in order to teach my kids, because they are lessons that my dad didn't, and likely couldn't, teach me.
Fathers in our culture, and even within the church, are encouraged to abdicate and flee, but that's not what we are instructed to do. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes out the responsibility of fathers: to be a constant Godly influence in the lives of his children and those around them and to guard to command that Go places over him:
Man of God, guard what has been entrusted to you! Keep your command without fault or failure! (1 Timothy 6:13-14)
I love this command that Paul shares. It's written in the closing, almost as a reminder- sprinkled in amongst a list of important things that Paul wanted Timothy to remember and to share with the churches. "Guard the command entrusted to you."
There is so much in that little verse. Fathers, you are the commander over the kingdom that God has given you. Not only do you get the greatest reward for what is produced by your Kingdom, but you bear the responsibility for the influences that you let reach your children.
The world can call you out of touch all they want, but you bear responsibility for what negative influences YouTube brings to your children's eyes, for the negativity that pollutes them from Facebook. The old adage may say, "Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear," but in reality the truth screams at us: "Fathers, guard what your children see! Guard what your children hear! Protect them! Don't even allow the negative influences of the world to invade the fortress."
Lock the fortress down tight, dads. You have a lot of good, amazing, Godly information to relay to your kids, to teach them and train them up in. They don't need a counter-influence coming at them, especially negative influences that come at them simply because you're too lazy to lock down the fortress or simply letting things in because you're ignorant of what they're watching or who they're talking to.
Guard - Protect - Train. That is your job. It's one that we need to start taking seriously.
And because of the cultural shift around us, too many dads are content with sitting back and letting the culture redefine what family should look like, what their role as father should look like. Too many dads have abandoned the idea of being the stalwart warrior and protector of the kingdom that God has placed them in command over, preferring instead to abdicate command to their wives and spend their time tinkering in the garage with a beer in one hand and a tv remote in the other, or worse yet, disappearing altogether and allowing their one-time "baby mama" to go it alone.
True masculinity is decried as toxic and to be avoided and fathers are pushed into the background of our families and our culture, and yet we wonder "Where did the MEN go? Where did the FATHERS go?"
Why are our children becoming more confused, less secure and less grounded? Look no further than the loss of authentic fatherhood in our western, post-modern, post-Christian society. Look no further than the cultural trash heap where fathers have been relegated.
Growing up fatherless, I see this firsthand in myself. My dad wrestled with many demons, none as influential as his own relationship with his father, and decided that running from them would be the best course of action, leaving me without the most important influence in my life - even though I long ago pledged that I would be a good, Godly father and husband and not do things the way my dad did them, and even though growing up I had Godly men who came alongside me and tried to fill some of the empty roles that my dad did not fill, there are still areas of fatherhood where I am inadequate because I didn't learn those things through the intense influence of a father/ son relationship. There are things that I've had to learn from fatherhood books in order to teach my kids, because they are lessons that my dad didn't, and likely couldn't, teach me.
Fathers in our culture, and even within the church, are encouraged to abdicate and flee, but that's not what we are instructed to do. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes out the responsibility of fathers: to be a constant Godly influence in the lives of his children and those around them and to guard to command that Go places over him:
Man of God, guard what has been entrusted to you! Keep your command without fault or failure! (1 Timothy 6:13-14)
I love this command that Paul shares. It's written in the closing, almost as a reminder- sprinkled in amongst a list of important things that Paul wanted Timothy to remember and to share with the churches. "Guard the command entrusted to you."
There is so much in that little verse. Fathers, you are the commander over the kingdom that God has given you. Not only do you get the greatest reward for what is produced by your Kingdom, but you bear the responsibility for the influences that you let reach your children.
The world can call you out of touch all they want, but you bear responsibility for what negative influences YouTube brings to your children's eyes, for the negativity that pollutes them from Facebook. The old adage may say, "Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear," but in reality the truth screams at us: "Fathers, guard what your children see! Guard what your children hear! Protect them! Don't even allow the negative influences of the world to invade the fortress."
Lock the fortress down tight, dads. You have a lot of good, amazing, Godly information to relay to your kids, to teach them and train them up in. They don't need a counter-influence coming at them, especially negative influences that come at them simply because you're too lazy to lock down the fortress or simply letting things in because you're ignorant of what they're watching or who they're talking to.
Guard - Protect - Train. That is your job. It's one that we need to start taking seriously.
Monday, November 18, 2019
The Wanderings of a Nomadic Christian
All my life I have felt more like an Elijah or a Paul than I have an Isaiah or a King Uzziah.
The difference? Isaiah was prophet over Israel for more than twenty years; Uzziah was one of the few good kings of Judah that did what was right in the Lord's sight- his reign lasted over 50 years. Paul, obviously, was one of the most influential missionaries of all time, with missionary journeys stretching throughout the Mediterranean region; Elijah had a tumultuous ministry to Israel that was continually in motion- God moved him from place to place and never allowed him to grow too comfortable (Detailed in 1 Kings 17- 2 Kings 2).
Feeling like a nomadic Christian has always come with a certain level of shame or guilt- this awkward feeling that I am somehow harming my wife and kids by never having been allowed to stay in one place for too long or to put down roots. (God has called me from a Baptist missionary organization in Mexico when I was 19 to a Christian church in TN when I was 20, to being out of active ministry, to being a youth leader at a small Christian church in KS, to working as a youth leader at a small Church of God, to working with at-risk kids in a situation where I couldn't tell them about Jesus but I could show them, to being at a Baptist children's home in our 30's, to serving as a youth leader in a Nazarene Church, to now being an Associate Pastor here in AR, with myriads of smaller roles of mentoring, coaching and teaching mixed in between.)
So many in our culture might look at that list and say: failure- he's never lasted in one place longer than 4 years. And that's the message that I've received, even from so many in the church: that you're not a success unless you stay in one place for X number of years, especially once you have children.
But in my tenure here at SpringCreek Fellowship, I have begun to understand a different lesson: if God calls you to be a nomadic Christian, not only will He equip you for the work you are to do, He will prepare and equip those within your clan to go do the work, as well.
God will protect my children and bring them the friends and fellowship that they need to feel connected, even if it means only staying in one location for a couple years at a time.
God may call you to one place for a specific purpose. That purpose may be to put down roots and stay there long term, but it may be that God's purpose will change and will lead you down the road to the next thing He has for you to do.
Our job is to be obedient to God's call and direction, not to someone else's expectations or to the cultural norms that dictate what a person's life should look like.
God may be calling you to be a nomadic Christian. Following that call is more important that staying in one place and putting down roots. In the long run, if being a nomadic Christian is what God has called you to do, then doing something else because it's what others feel like you should do will only cause damage to you and your clan.
Follow God's call, not the messages and expectations of those around you.
The difference? Isaiah was prophet over Israel for more than twenty years; Uzziah was one of the few good kings of Judah that did what was right in the Lord's sight- his reign lasted over 50 years. Paul, obviously, was one of the most influential missionaries of all time, with missionary journeys stretching throughout the Mediterranean region; Elijah had a tumultuous ministry to Israel that was continually in motion- God moved him from place to place and never allowed him to grow too comfortable (Detailed in 1 Kings 17- 2 Kings 2).
Feeling like a nomadic Christian has always come with a certain level of shame or guilt- this awkward feeling that I am somehow harming my wife and kids by never having been allowed to stay in one place for too long or to put down roots. (God has called me from a Baptist missionary organization in Mexico when I was 19 to a Christian church in TN when I was 20, to being out of active ministry, to being a youth leader at a small Christian church in KS, to working as a youth leader at a small Church of God, to working with at-risk kids in a situation where I couldn't tell them about Jesus but I could show them, to being at a Baptist children's home in our 30's, to serving as a youth leader in a Nazarene Church, to now being an Associate Pastor here in AR, with myriads of smaller roles of mentoring, coaching and teaching mixed in between.)
So many in our culture might look at that list and say: failure- he's never lasted in one place longer than 4 years. And that's the message that I've received, even from so many in the church: that you're not a success unless you stay in one place for X number of years, especially once you have children.
But in my tenure here at SpringCreek Fellowship, I have begun to understand a different lesson: if God calls you to be a nomadic Christian, not only will He equip you for the work you are to do, He will prepare and equip those within your clan to go do the work, as well.
God will protect my children and bring them the friends and fellowship that they need to feel connected, even if it means only staying in one location for a couple years at a time.
God may call you to one place for a specific purpose. That purpose may be to put down roots and stay there long term, but it may be that God's purpose will change and will lead you down the road to the next thing He has for you to do.
Our job is to be obedient to God's call and direction, not to someone else's expectations or to the cultural norms that dictate what a person's life should look like.
God may be calling you to be a nomadic Christian. Following that call is more important that staying in one place and putting down roots. In the long run, if being a nomadic Christian is what God has called you to do, then doing something else because it's what others feel like you should do will only cause damage to you and your clan.
Follow God's call, not the messages and expectations of those around you.
Monday, May 13, 2019
But you, Man of God
The Apostle Paul's first letter to Timothy is an admonish and an encouragement to the young man. Timothy was beginning his ministry as a young man and there were those within the fledgling church and among the Jewish believers who were uncomfortable with the thought of a younger man holding a position of authority.
It's an issue that is still facing the church today- a question of maturity, for sure (Is this person mature enough to lead and appropriately handle authority?), but also one of calling, which I think is often overlooked and ignored by the church. If a person is called by God to do His work then who are we to question it? Rather, the church needs to equip such men and give them opportunities to lead.
This is the question before Paul as he writes this letter to Timothy. Paul's response is two-fold: Don't let anyone look down or despise you because of your youth; rather, be the example of what Godly leadership is supposed to look like for the church for the church.
And do what God has called you do, regardless of what anyone else thinks, and preach and teach the message God has given you! The first part of Paul's message to Timothy relates to how the young man should conduct himself within the church and in his own relationship with Jesus.
This is an admonishment that many of us need to consider and follow today!
Set an example for the Body of believers:
-In your speech- (in what you say and in how you say it)
-In your conduct- (in how you behave and in how you treat others)
-In love- (in both your interpersonal relationships with others and in the way you pour yourself out to show Christ's love to others)
-In faith- (in showing the evidence of your faith through how you live it out and in sharing it with others)
-In purity
Practice these things and be committed to them! Pay close attention to your life and the things that you teach!
Do not neglect the practice and use of your gifts (both spiritual and innate.)
Devote yourself to public Scripture reading, to encouraging & correcting the other believers, and to teaching God's Word!
Paul then breaks down for Timothy what it looks like to be a Man of God - "But you, man of God:"
Flee from (Turn away from, avoid at all costs) these things:
-The temptations of riches
-The love of/ craving for money
-False teachings
-Frivolous disputes & arguments
-Irreverent, empty speech
-False knowledge
-Arrogance
And instead, pursue these things:
-Godly contentment
-Righteousness
-Godliness
-Faith
-Love
-Endurance
-Gentleness
Paul continues:
Man of God, fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of (grab and don't let go) eternal life. Do what is good. Be rich in good works. Be generous & willing to share what God has given you.
Man of God, guard what has been entrusted to you! Keep your command (the post you have been placed in authority over) without fault or failure!
-Fathers, are we being men of God? Are we teaching our sons to be?
When I stand before God for an account of my life, will I be able to say that I kept my command well? That I have guarded and kept safe that which has has been entrusted to me?
The Book of Proverbs presents fathers with this image: that our children, especially sons, are arrows within our quiver. That image is a pretty complex one.
Well-crafted arrows are a valuable commodity, one that an archer must keep safe. On top of that, there is a great deal of practice and equipping that must be done in order to fire an arrow well and trust that it is going to strike its target truly.
Fathers, are we accomplishing this task? Are we guarding the arrows that we will eventually fire into the world?
Maybe even more importantly, are you equipping yourself to be able to fire those arrows well so that they will strike true?
Most importantly, are you equipping/ training/ teaching your children so that when they are released from your quiver, they will be ready for the world? That they will be able to strike true at the target that God has set before them? That they will make a positive impact on the world when that strike happens?
If not, then I pray that you will begin to practice and shape yourself for the work that God has placed before you: readying well-equipped, sharp children for the work that God had in place for them to do.
We will each be held to account for the way we ready these arrows for their journey. We will be held to account for the type of release we accomplish- will it be a misfire or will it be a well-aimed, well-guided shot that truly finds its mark?
Ready yourself, man of God!
It's an issue that is still facing the church today- a question of maturity, for sure (Is this person mature enough to lead and appropriately handle authority?), but also one of calling, which I think is often overlooked and ignored by the church. If a person is called by God to do His work then who are we to question it? Rather, the church needs to equip such men and give them opportunities to lead.
This is the question before Paul as he writes this letter to Timothy. Paul's response is two-fold: Don't let anyone look down or despise you because of your youth; rather, be the example of what Godly leadership is supposed to look like for the church for the church.
And do what God has called you do, regardless of what anyone else thinks, and preach and teach the message God has given you! The first part of Paul's message to Timothy relates to how the young man should conduct himself within the church and in his own relationship with Jesus.
This is an admonishment that many of us need to consider and follow today!
Set an example for the Body of believers:
-In your speech- (in what you say and in how you say it)
-In your conduct- (in how you behave and in how you treat others)
-In love- (in both your interpersonal relationships with others and in the way you pour yourself out to show Christ's love to others)
-In faith- (in showing the evidence of your faith through how you live it out and in sharing it with others)
-In purity
Practice these things and be committed to them! Pay close attention to your life and the things that you teach!
Do not neglect the practice and use of your gifts (both spiritual and innate.)
Devote yourself to public Scripture reading, to encouraging & correcting the other believers, and to teaching God's Word!
Paul then breaks down for Timothy what it looks like to be a Man of God - "But you, man of God:"
Flee from (Turn away from, avoid at all costs) these things:
-The temptations of riches
-The love of/ craving for money
-False teachings
-Frivolous disputes & arguments
-Irreverent, empty speech
-False knowledge
-Arrogance
And instead, pursue these things:
-Godly contentment
-Righteousness
-Godliness
-Faith
-Love
-Endurance
-Gentleness
Paul continues:
Man of God, fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of (grab and don't let go) eternal life. Do what is good. Be rich in good works. Be generous & willing to share what God has given you.
Man of God, guard what has been entrusted to you! Keep your command (the post you have been placed in authority over) without fault or failure!
-Fathers, are we being men of God? Are we teaching our sons to be?
When I stand before God for an account of my life, will I be able to say that I kept my command well? That I have guarded and kept safe that which has has been entrusted to me?
The Book of Proverbs presents fathers with this image: that our children, especially sons, are arrows within our quiver. That image is a pretty complex one.
Well-crafted arrows are a valuable commodity, one that an archer must keep safe. On top of that, there is a great deal of practice and equipping that must be done in order to fire an arrow well and trust that it is going to strike its target truly.
Fathers, are we accomplishing this task? Are we guarding the arrows that we will eventually fire into the world?
Maybe even more importantly, are you equipping yourself to be able to fire those arrows well so that they will strike true?
Most importantly, are you equipping/ training/ teaching your children so that when they are released from your quiver, they will be ready for the world? That they will be able to strike true at the target that God has set before them? That they will make a positive impact on the world when that strike happens?
If not, then I pray that you will begin to practice and shape yourself for the work that God has placed before you: readying well-equipped, sharp children for the work that God had in place for them to do.
We will each be held to account for the way we ready these arrows for their journey. We will be held to account for the type of release we accomplish- will it be a misfire or will it be a well-aimed, well-guided shot that truly finds its mark?
Ready yourself, man of God!
Monday, February 18, 2019
A Good Push
Hebrews 10:24 - "Let's focus on how we can push one another toward love and good deeds."
Sometimes we become complacent. Sometimes we go full steam toward things that are outside of God's plan for us. Sometimes we freeze, are scared, and can't or won't move at all.
Sometimes what we need is a good push. A push to move us back away from the calamity that we are running toward; a push to shake us out of our complacency and help us refocus; or a good, swift kick in the pants to get us moving toward the good plans that God has for us.
As members of this Body of Christ, we have a responsibility to each other and to the Body as a whole to be available to push when a good push is needed.
Are we holding each other accountable? Not just making sure that we are staying away from the negative things that plague each of us - though this kind of brotherhood accountability is vital to Kingdom growth - but holding each other accountable to keep moving forward? Are we looking for ways to push one another toward love and toward fulfilling the good deeds that God has for us to accomplish?
I firmly believe that when we are at Christ's seat of Judgment we will be held to an account not only for the good and bad things that we did, but also for the opportunities we missed to do what God had for us to do - AND also for the opportunities that we missed to push those within our sphere of influence toward doing what God had for them to do.
Sometimes we become complacent. Sometimes we go full steam toward things that are outside of God's plan for us. Sometimes we freeze, are scared, and can't or won't move at all.
Sometimes what we need is a good push. A push to move us back away from the calamity that we are running toward; a push to shake us out of our complacency and help us refocus; or a good, swift kick in the pants to get us moving toward the good plans that God has for us.
As members of this Body of Christ, we have a responsibility to each other and to the Body as a whole to be available to push when a good push is needed.
Are we holding each other accountable? Not just making sure that we are staying away from the negative things that plague each of us - though this kind of brotherhood accountability is vital to Kingdom growth - but holding each other accountable to keep moving forward? Are we looking for ways to push one another toward love and toward fulfilling the good deeds that God has for us to accomplish?
I firmly believe that when we are at Christ's seat of Judgment we will be held to an account not only for the good and bad things that we did, but also for the opportunities we missed to do what God had for us to do - AND also for the opportunities that we missed to push those within our sphere of influence toward doing what God had for them to do.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Be Prepared
(This is a note that I found that I wrote to myself back in 2006, but my goodness it is relevant today.)
It is time for you to stand ready!
If you haven't done so already, unsheathe your sword and stand firm! Neither attacking or defending for the moment, but stand secure with an air of readiness. Ready to parry any attack and ready to go on the offensive at any moment.
BE PREPARED! Ready your mind!
Stand strong, armor on and sword drawn, ready for action!
"Declare this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the men advance and attack. Beat your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let even the weakling say 'I am a warrior.' Come quickly, all you nations: gather yourselves. Bring down your warriors, Lord! Rouse the nations!" (Joel 3:9-12)
Are you roused?? You are being called out!
It is time for you to stand ready!
If you haven't done so already, unsheathe your sword and stand firm! Neither attacking or defending for the moment, but stand secure with an air of readiness. Ready to parry any attack and ready to go on the offensive at any moment.
BE PREPARED! Ready your mind!
Stand strong, armor on and sword drawn, ready for action!
"Declare this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the men advance and attack. Beat your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let even the weakling say 'I am a warrior.' Come quickly, all you nations: gather yourselves. Bring down your warriors, Lord! Rouse the nations!" (Joel 3:9-12)
Are you roused?? You are being called out!
Monday, December 3, 2018
We ALWAYS Give Thanks for You
Colossians 1:3-5 "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints because of the hope reserved for you in Heaven."
Question #1: Are we in the church lifting up the other parts of the Body when we hear of their faith and of their love for the Body?
Question #2: Is my faith growing and outreaching to the point that others can hear about it and thereby continually lift me before the Throne?
Have you thought about that? Paul wrote this letter during a time when it would have taken months and years for his letter to reach and circulate through the Body/ house churches in Colossae. And yet, before Paul ever wrote the letter, he had been hearing such reports of the faith and passion of those in Colossae that he prayed for, and gave thanks for, ALWAYS.
The faith of the people of this local body was so great that Paul made it a consistent part of his prayer time to lift them up in prayer and thanksgiving.
How amazing that my faith could reach that point that others (maybe whom I have never met or around the globe) might consistently lift me up in prayer and give thanks for me! I want that kind of relationship with the Body of Christ.
And what a responsibility: to be mindful of the faith of our brothers around the globe and to consistently take the time to lift them up in prayer and thanksgiving!
Question #1: Are we in the church lifting up the other parts of the Body when we hear of their faith and of their love for the Body?
Question #2: Is my faith growing and outreaching to the point that others can hear about it and thereby continually lift me before the Throne?
Have you thought about that? Paul wrote this letter during a time when it would have taken months and years for his letter to reach and circulate through the Body/ house churches in Colossae. And yet, before Paul ever wrote the letter, he had been hearing such reports of the faith and passion of those in Colossae that he prayed for, and gave thanks for, ALWAYS.
The faith of the people of this local body was so great that Paul made it a consistent part of his prayer time to lift them up in prayer and thanksgiving.
How amazing that my faith could reach that point that others (maybe whom I have never met or around the globe) might consistently lift me up in prayer and give thanks for me! I want that kind of relationship with the Body of Christ.
And what a responsibility: to be mindful of the faith of our brothers around the globe and to consistently take the time to lift them up in prayer and thanksgiving!
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