Witness
Living as Witnesses: Making the Most of Every Opportunity
In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, there's a call echoing through the centuries—a call to be devoted, watchful, and intentional. It's a call that doesn't just ask us to believe something, but to become something: witnesses of a transformative truth that has the power to change lives.
The Power of Devotion
What does it mean to be truly devoted to something? Think about the athlete who practices long after everyone else has gone home, who runs extra drills and studies game film in their spare time. That kind of devotion requires intense effort, often despite difficulty. It's not casual interest—it's wholehearted commitment.
The Apostle Paul, writing from chains in prison, urged the Colossian church to "devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (Colossians 4:2). Notice what comes first: devotion to prayer. Not devotion to programs, strategies, or even good works, but to prayer—that intimate conversation with the Creator of the universe.
As we approach a new year, there's an invitation before us: to reflect on our level of devotion. Are we intentionally seeking God, or are we letting life pass us by without truly connecting with Him? The difference between where we are and where we could be often comes down to intentionality. If we want our lives to be different, we must be devoted to God, dedicated to prayer, and committed to Scripture.
Watching and Giving Thanks
Devotion to prayer doesn't exist in isolation. It's paired with being watchful—awake to what's happening around us. Jesus asked His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Why can't you pray and watch with me?" There's an inseparable connection between prayer and awareness.
Being watchful means paying attention to what God is doing in the world right now. It means recognizing the signs of the times, understanding that we live in days when God is actively reaching people far from Christ, building up His church, reviving those who were spiritually dead, and discipling believers. We're called to be part of this movement, first by being watchful and prayerful.
And then there's thankfulness. In a season that celebrates Thanksgiving, we're reminded that gratitude isn't just a feeling—it's an active expression. The Greek word used here suggests vocal, expressed gratitude. God has given us more than we need: the air we breathe, our families, our provision, and above all, His Son. Because of the cross, because of the resurrection, because He didn't leave us as orphans but gave us His Spirit, we have countless reasons to be actively thankful.
Opening Doors Through Prayer
Here's where Paul's letter takes a fascinating turn. Writing from prison, he doesn't ask for prayer to be released. Instead, he asks, "Pray for us too that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains" (Colossians 4:3-4).
His priority wasn't personal comfort—it was the spread of the gospel. He understood that he carried a message more important than his circumstances. And here's the beautiful truth: we carry that same message today.
Matthew 7:7-8 reminds us: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Our prayers are our knocking. When there's someone near us who doesn't know the Lord—a spouse, a child, a coworker, a friend—we knock on the door through prayer. We knock so that God can open it, so He can open their hearts to receive Him.
Don't give up on those prayers. Don't stop interceding for that loved one whose heart seems closed. Continue to knock. Continue to pray. God will open the door of their heart in His perfect timing.
The Irony of Freedom
There's a profound irony in Paul's situation. He's physically in chains, yet he's freer than he's ever been. Once bound by sin, now his soul is liberated even as his body is confined. This reminds us that true freedom isn't about circumstances—it's about the state of our souls.
And remarkably, the message got out. More than 2,000 years later, we're reading these words. God does the impossible for His message. He uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways—even people in chains—to spread the good news that transforms lives.
Making the Most of Every Opportunity
Paul's instruction becomes intensely practical: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity" (Colossians 4:5). Every single day, we have opportunities. Everywhere we are, we have chances to show Christ to others.
How do we show someone Christ? By loving them. By seeing a need and meeting it. Sometimes that's as simple as having an ear to hear. People go through real struggles, and often they just need someone to listen before they need someone to speak.
A simple smile can change someone's life. Joy is contagious. A smile says, "I see you. You matter." Sometimes a good lunch goes a long way—investing ten dollars to take a coworker out, to listen to their story, to show them they're valued.
These are practical ways to be intentional with every opportunity. We're no longer living for ourselves but for Christ. If we're living for Christ, we must make the most of every opportunity by showing people our testimony, by bearing witness.
Conversations Seasoned with Salt
The final instruction is profound: "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6). Grace means giving people what they don't deserve. Salt brings out flavor, preserves, and makes things better.
Our conversations should be different from the world's. They should be palatable, wholesome, constructive—building people up rather than tearing them down. There's enough tearing down happening out there. Those of us who have Christ should speak words that build others up.
Think about salt on a steak—it brings out the natural flavor, makes everything better. That's how our conversations should be: enhancing, preserving, making life more palatable for those around us.
You never know what can happen when you build someone up with your words. You never know what transformation might occur in your spouse, your children, your difficult coworker, or that person who doesn't yet know Jesus—if you simply build them up with kingdom words.
You Are a Messenger
Here's the truth: you are a messenger. You carry a message—the good news of Jesus Christ. Your entire life—your words, your actions, your relationships—can point to a greater truth that you've experienced: Christ Himself.
You are the salt of the earth. What you speak should be full of grace, different from what everyone else is speaking. And when people have questions about Christ, the Holy Spirit will give you the answers you need to share.
As you walk through your daily life, remember: you have a message inside of you that needs to come out. Make the most of every opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. Be devoted. Be watchful. Be thankful. Be intentional.
The world is waiting for witnesses—not perfect people, but authentic ones who have encountered Christ and can't help but share what they've found.
In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, there's a call echoing through the centuries—a call to be devoted, watchful, and intentional. It's a call that doesn't just ask us to believe something, but to become something: witnesses of a transformative truth that has the power to change lives.
The Power of Devotion
What does it mean to be truly devoted to something? Think about the athlete who practices long after everyone else has gone home, who runs extra drills and studies game film in their spare time. That kind of devotion requires intense effort, often despite difficulty. It's not casual interest—it's wholehearted commitment.
The Apostle Paul, writing from chains in prison, urged the Colossian church to "devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (Colossians 4:2). Notice what comes first: devotion to prayer. Not devotion to programs, strategies, or even good works, but to prayer—that intimate conversation with the Creator of the universe.
As we approach a new year, there's an invitation before us: to reflect on our level of devotion. Are we intentionally seeking God, or are we letting life pass us by without truly connecting with Him? The difference between where we are and where we could be often comes down to intentionality. If we want our lives to be different, we must be devoted to God, dedicated to prayer, and committed to Scripture.
Watching and Giving Thanks
Devotion to prayer doesn't exist in isolation. It's paired with being watchful—awake to what's happening around us. Jesus asked His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Why can't you pray and watch with me?" There's an inseparable connection between prayer and awareness.
Being watchful means paying attention to what God is doing in the world right now. It means recognizing the signs of the times, understanding that we live in days when God is actively reaching people far from Christ, building up His church, reviving those who were spiritually dead, and discipling believers. We're called to be part of this movement, first by being watchful and prayerful.
And then there's thankfulness. In a season that celebrates Thanksgiving, we're reminded that gratitude isn't just a feeling—it's an active expression. The Greek word used here suggests vocal, expressed gratitude. God has given us more than we need: the air we breathe, our families, our provision, and above all, His Son. Because of the cross, because of the resurrection, because He didn't leave us as orphans but gave us His Spirit, we have countless reasons to be actively thankful.
Opening Doors Through Prayer
Here's where Paul's letter takes a fascinating turn. Writing from prison, he doesn't ask for prayer to be released. Instead, he asks, "Pray for us too that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains" (Colossians 4:3-4).
His priority wasn't personal comfort—it was the spread of the gospel. He understood that he carried a message more important than his circumstances. And here's the beautiful truth: we carry that same message today.
Matthew 7:7-8 reminds us: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Our prayers are our knocking. When there's someone near us who doesn't know the Lord—a spouse, a child, a coworker, a friend—we knock on the door through prayer. We knock so that God can open it, so He can open their hearts to receive Him.
Don't give up on those prayers. Don't stop interceding for that loved one whose heart seems closed. Continue to knock. Continue to pray. God will open the door of their heart in His perfect timing.
The Irony of Freedom
There's a profound irony in Paul's situation. He's physically in chains, yet he's freer than he's ever been. Once bound by sin, now his soul is liberated even as his body is confined. This reminds us that true freedom isn't about circumstances—it's about the state of our souls.
And remarkably, the message got out. More than 2,000 years later, we're reading these words. God does the impossible for His message. He uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways—even people in chains—to spread the good news that transforms lives.
Making the Most of Every Opportunity
Paul's instruction becomes intensely practical: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity" (Colossians 4:5). Every single day, we have opportunities. Everywhere we are, we have chances to show Christ to others.
How do we show someone Christ? By loving them. By seeing a need and meeting it. Sometimes that's as simple as having an ear to hear. People go through real struggles, and often they just need someone to listen before they need someone to speak.
A simple smile can change someone's life. Joy is contagious. A smile says, "I see you. You matter." Sometimes a good lunch goes a long way—investing ten dollars to take a coworker out, to listen to their story, to show them they're valued.
These are practical ways to be intentional with every opportunity. We're no longer living for ourselves but for Christ. If we're living for Christ, we must make the most of every opportunity by showing people our testimony, by bearing witness.
Conversations Seasoned with Salt
The final instruction is profound: "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6). Grace means giving people what they don't deserve. Salt brings out flavor, preserves, and makes things better.
Our conversations should be different from the world's. They should be palatable, wholesome, constructive—building people up rather than tearing them down. There's enough tearing down happening out there. Those of us who have Christ should speak words that build others up.
Think about salt on a steak—it brings out the natural flavor, makes everything better. That's how our conversations should be: enhancing, preserving, making life more palatable for those around us.
You never know what can happen when you build someone up with your words. You never know what transformation might occur in your spouse, your children, your difficult coworker, or that person who doesn't yet know Jesus—if you simply build them up with kingdom words.
You Are a Messenger
Here's the truth: you are a messenger. You carry a message—the good news of Jesus Christ. Your entire life—your words, your actions, your relationships—can point to a greater truth that you've experienced: Christ Himself.
You are the salt of the earth. What you speak should be full of grace, different from what everyone else is speaking. And when people have questions about Christ, the Holy Spirit will give you the answers you need to share.
As you walk through your daily life, remember: you have a message inside of you that needs to come out. Make the most of every opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. Be devoted. Be watchful. Be thankful. Be intentional.
The world is waiting for witnesses—not perfect people, but authentic ones who have encountered Christ and can't help but share what they've found.
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