“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."(NIV) Colossians 1:10
Bible Reading: Colossians 1:3-14
There are many things to do to be effective in the Lord. God inspired Paul in his letters, to highlight some of these qualities in his way of life for us to emulate. Let’s review some of these in today’s devotion.
Goodwill Greetings: In all of Paul’s letters, it can be observed that he usually begins with a message like this: “To the holy and faithful brethren in Christ living in all parts of the world, Grace and Peace to you from God our father.” We usually take this form of greetings for granted, but these are words that are full of Grace and give hope for the future. The book of Colossians is encouraging us to practice this form of greetings.
Goodwill Prayer: Paul usually continues with these words; “we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you because of your faith in Christ.” Here, He is sharing the most cherished secret of praying for others.
Goodwill greetings and prayer show signs of selflessness which are helpful for bearing fruits. They help us to make the souls in the Lord’s vineyard our priority. By this, we can care for them like we would for our own souls. We can pray for them by thanking God all the time. We can request that God fill them to produce fruit in God like we are doing. These are the things the apostles and the disciples of Jesus Christ did, and we should imitate them as they imitated Christ.
Reflection
How do you feel when someone sends you greetings of goodwill or says a special prayer for you?
You are encouraged today to send out goodwill greetings and prayers. That may be just what someone needs today.