Scripture: Colossians 4.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT)

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

It is so unfortunate that we act the way we do at times with family members and folk that we love. We tend to take advantage of them. To a large degree they tend to understand that beneath that ‘acting up’ we really have a heart of love and care deeply for them. Meeting up with strangers will not yield the same results, because they don’t have the advantage of the latter part of my statement. Paul was warning his church members, and so are we being warned because of this being included in God’s Word, that in order for us to be well received by non-Christians, we must live wisely – earn their respect, their love and their trust, then perhaps we could make the most of the opportunity that we have in spending time with them. I believe that we make several choices when we come into contact with strangers: 1). We like them and we want to know more about them; 2). We’re not totally sure about them and will need to trust them a whole lot more before believing what they say, or 3). They give the appearance of being phony, and we will stay our distance from them emotionally and will not trust them. Hopefully as others come into contact with us today we can quickly give them reason to move from a ‘3’ to a ‘2’ and very possibly a ‘1’. Until a person can trust us, I don’t believe that they will put a whole lot of stock in what we have to say to them. I want to be sure that my conversation is gracious and attractive, so that the right response will be evident from everyone. How about you? Until we care enough to be concerned about the One that we represent, I believe that we are only selfishly spreading our own agenda and looking for self-preservation and recognition.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, thank You for saving my soul. Thank You for drawing me unto Yourself. May this be a day that I will unselfishly seek to spread the joy, love, peace and understanding that comes from knowing You as Lord. May my conversation be pleasing to You and may it yield responses indicating that folk are being drawn to You. May Your will and way be evident in my life today, and in the lives of those that share in reading this devotional. May You be lifted up and magnified in and through me today!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
ß