December 3rd follow-up

Colossian 1:1-14
What would others say about you?

Paul begins his letter to the church of Colossae by telling them how he thanked God every time he prayed for them for what he had heard about their faith, love, and hope. This got me to thinking about what would others say about me or you to those who don’t know us. Would they say basic things like they are a nice person, friendly, etc... Or would they talk about spiritual qualities they see in us?

Would they speak of your faith? Not just the faith that led to your salvation, but a faith that is evident in your everyday life. A faith that believes our God can do anything. A faith that believes we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Would they speak of your love for God’s people? We all have different ways of expressing love. But, when it comes to loving God’s people, our love for one another should be evident by how we treat one another, how we speak of one another, and how we pray for one another.

Would they speak of the hope you have? This is from a devotion I received today:
One way that heaven offers us great hope and joy is that we can be assured, no matter what we may face now, it won’t last forever. This world is not all there is. We weren’t made to find lasting hope only in this present life. For ahead of us is the gift of heaven.

Our world is craving hope and looking in all the wrong places to find it. True hope is found only in Jesus and we will come to realize the full magnitude of it when we come into His presence.

As you go forth this week, determine in your heart to be known for more than simply being a nice person. Don’t just talk about your faith in Jesus, live it. Don’t just talk about your love for others, show it. Don’t just talk about the hope you have, let others see it as you follow Jesus each day.