Monday, May 20 | Colossians 1:1-14 | Amy Jackson
Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae was likely written around AD 62, which is around the same time that Paul wrote Ephesians and Philemon. The church at Colossae was likely started by Ephaphras (also called Epaphroditus), who probably heard Paul preach the gospel during his ministry in Ephesus and then returned home to share the gospel with those in Colossae. Paul wrote to the Colossians while he was in prison (Colossians 4:13), encouraging them to remain faithful to Christ in the midst of false teaching (which was probably some kind of mix of local pagan and Jewish beliefs).
Paul begins his letter by offering a thanksgiving and prayer for the church; he praises God for the testimony of their faith in Jesus and prays that they would be filled “with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9).
Isn’t this a prayer that resonates with us all? I think we’ve all prayed for God’s will to be revealed to us! Where should we go to college? Who should we marry? What might our next career step be? While we know that God cares deeply about all of these things and is sovereign over all of life’s choices, we are reminded in Colossians that, above all of these things, the Lord cares about the manner of our hearts. His will is that, as we gain spiritual understanding, we would “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
How do we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord? First, we recognize that we cannot do this on our own. The good news is that, through the cross, we have been justified and made right with God – we are delivered from darkness and forgiven of our sins (see Colossians 1:13-14). In light of this truth, Paul’s prayer is that we might respond with lives of worship and gratitude, growing in sanctification as we “give thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12).
Today, as you think over decisions to be made for the future and seek God’s will in different areas of your life, remember that God’s plan for your life is first and foremost that you would know Jesus and be made like Him through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that you might make Him known through your witness.
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