Day 191 "Be Watchful and Prayerful" (Colossians: Chapter Four)

Mark Hogan (Grace Walker)
Jan 2, 2020
3 min read

To be vigil and aware is to not lose sight of what is important. Paul, in the fourth and last chapter of Colossians seeks to emphasize this point in the life of a believer and follower of Christ. Make the most of each and every opportunity that passes our way. For the most part, each moment comes only but once, and then moves onward. What will you do with the moments that come your way?

Colossians: Chapter Four

:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, be watchful and thankful."

Our spiritual link and source of communication with God is through prayer.

Prayer is nothing more than talking with God. I believe what Paul is saying

here it to talk with God, be aware and live in the moment, and realize whose you are and what you are through Christ. It makes a tremendous difference

to know that one is a child of God through Christ. It is a powerful mindset that allows us not even to sweat the "big stuff" here on Earth when we believe our our spiritual existence is assured after this life ends.

:5-6 "Be wise in the ways you act toward outsiders; make the most of every

opportunity. Let your conversation by full of grace, seasoned with

salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

We, as human beings, fill our lives with so many wants and desires. We can obsess over things in such a way that we fail to take note of the life going on around us. So preoccupied with our own course through life, we can miss out on the opportunity of loving others as we travel along the way. Paul, here, is encouraging the believer to be mindful of every moment that passes and to have the affect like salt upon the lives that you touch. Let the grace of God, which set you as the believer free from your old self, be allowed to flow freely through you to touch the lives of others.

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter

root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:5

Key verses for me:

:5-6 "Be wise in the ways you act toward outsiders; make the most of every

opportunity. Let your conversation by full of grace, seasoned with

salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

We have reached the end of our journey in Colossians. As we look back, Colossians provides us with several key powerful understandings:

1) Through Christ we are rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought

into the kingdom of the Son that God loves, in whom we have forgiveness

of sins.

2) Though we were spiritually dead and separated from God by our sinful nature, Jesus made us spiritual alive and reconciled us back into a relationship with God.

3) With our spiritual acceptance secured, we are encouraged to focus our attention on the coming of God's kingdom. Set our minds on things above, not to get lost on focusing our minds and obsessing upon the things of this world- which are only temporary in their nature and will pass.

The Christian walk can be set on autopilot by simply implementing love in everything that we do as believers. Of all the positive virtues that we can display in our lives, love binds them perfectly together and purifies all of our motives for why we do what we do. To be

mindful of God, praying throughout the day, continually keeps us focused on the things of the spiritual realm and not lose sight and become lost in our journey here on Earth. Our journey here is short and brief at best. Give careful thought and consideration how you spend each precious moment of your time. My encouragement to you is to seek to live each moment in life with love. It will not only benefit you in this world, but it will also prepare you mind and heart for the journey ahead.

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Here's a poem that you may find enlightening entitled: "The Brevity of Life."

The Brevity of Life

Life is but a brief paragraph in Eternity's book. Our moments fly by swifter than the beating thrush of wings. We race towards an inescapable conclusion Knowing of our eventual departure. Lives become fuller, richer and deeper When they are lived with a sense of the eternal in mind. Moments become more precious as we realize our allotted time The brevity of our days. When we live with the realization that life is but a shadow, a vapor, We appreciate it more and spend it fully.