Live Your Christian Life || Colossians 4:5-6 || Manna for the Mind #52

Welcome to Day 52 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s devotion will focus on Colossians 4:5-6. We will be talking about how to make the most of our lives as being a Christian.

Colossians 4:5-6

5            Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

6            Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

In the highly secular culture that we live in, Christians might start becoming more and more of a minority. It’s something we don’t think about. Still, we are hearing more and more people who are either walking away from the church for a variety of reasons, won’t return to the church for a variety of reasons, or will not believe in Christianity at all. Paul and other believers in the early church faced a similar situation as part of a slight movement in the Roman Empire. They responded to this situation by being alert and intelligent, looking for opportunities to tell others about Christ. I would even say we should look at opportunities to show others who Christ truly is. We are all in this together, facing similar challenges and struggles. Let’s embrace our vulnerabilities and share our personal experiences of faith, as it can be a powerful way to connect with others and show them the hope we have in Christ.

We should be more loving and willing to show that love before we even interact with nonbelievers, making the most of those opportunities. How can you show Christ’s love this week? How can you be aware of the promptings of God when He nudges you to move from showing love to talking about it? Through the different ministries I have managed, that nudge comes with a successful showing of God’s love so we can go deeper into it. It also comes with unsuccessful attempts to show where we went wrong, our intentions, and how to learn from them. Remember, every interaction is an opportunity to share hope, to show Christ’s love, and to make a difference in someone’s life. Your actions, no matter how small, can have a significant impact. Let’s inspire each other to actively share hope in Christ.

When we tell others about Christ, kindness counts! No matter how much the Bible makes sense, we lose effectiveness if we aren’t nice. Just like we want to be respected and valued, we must respect and value others if we want them to listen to what we have to say. I’ve been using the term “lovingly correct” to describe this feeling. If you witness someone living not like Christ and want to share your concern with them, you must do it with kindness, compassion, and genuine care. We are not called to condemn, judge, or bully someone. We are called to love as Jesus loves us. Imagine talking with someone how you’d want to be talked to. We have this principle said in Ephesians 5:15-16.

Ephesians 5:15-16

15          So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.

16          Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Paul communicated his sense of urgency regarding evil’s pervasiveness by referring to these days as evil. We need the same sense of urgency. We must keep our standards high, act wisely, and do good whenever possible. This isn’t to scare you. The concept of the last days isn’t to make you afraid of the punishments. The idea is to share that our time on earth isn’t fixed. Tomorrow is not granted. Therefore, we need to share the Gospel and love each other as best as God wants. Peter talks about this a little bit in 1 Peter 3:15.

1 Peter 3:15

15          Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

Some Christians treat their faith as something personal that should be kept to themselves. While we shouldn’t be boisterous or obnoxious in sharing our faith, we should always be ready to give an answer, gently and respectfully, when asked about our beliefs, life choices, or Christian perspectives. Our faith should be willingly shared at a moment’s notice so that we can always show the glory of God. It’s not a way to be arrogant or egotistical, but it’s a way to be authentic and vulnerable. It’ll be challenging at times because it may be bringing old wounds or past trauma that you were ready to put behind you. Yet, those things might be the same thing the other person is going through. It’s a way to go and use your weak moments in life for the strength of building the kingdom. Your tests become your testimony. The question is if you are showing your hope in Christ to each other. If you are, how are you doing it? How can God use you to push yourself to show your hope to all those around you? If you are not, what is holding you back? What are you not comfortable with revealing how God has saved you? Where is your relationship with God? Remember, our time on earth isn’t fixed. Tomorrow is not granted. Therefore, we need to share the Gospel and love each other as best as God wants.

Father God, thank you for the love you give us, the salvation you sent for us, and the relationship you gifted to us. You did not have to do any of this, but you chose to do us. Please help us choose to share with others what you gifted to us. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.