Conversations Full of Grace

One of my favorite books of the Bible is the book of Colossians.  Paul wrote this letter to the church at Colossae while he was imprisoned in Rome.  He had heard that the church members were fixated on rules and ceremonies and that they were not treating one another or speaking to one another with love.  Paul pointed the church back to God and to the grace of God given to them through Jesus Christ.

Paul says in Colossians 4:2-6, "2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  3 And 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.  4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  6 Let you conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  As Christ followers, our PRAYER LIFE WILL DIRECT OUR TALK AND OUR WALK.  Paul says, "Devote yourselves to prayer."  He goes on to say two more times in this short passage, "Pray!"  What are we devoted to in this life?  We might be devoted to a spouse or to a child.  We might be devoted to a job or to a hobby.  Whatever we are devoted to is what we sacrifice time and resources for.  Whatever we are devoted to is something that our hearts and minds are invested in.  Are we devoted to prayer?  Paul goes on to say, "Be wise."  If we are devoted to prayer, then the Lord will lead us and guide us in the way we are to treat other people, especially strangers or those who are not in our circle of family and friends.  We need to take advantage of every opportunity God gives us to treat people with love and compassion, treat people the way Jesus treated people.  And finally, Paul says, "LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE ALWAYS FULL OF GRACE."  The words that we use when speaking to others, whether family and friends or outsiders, matters.  If we are devoted to prayer, then the Lord will help us stay focused on the grace God has given us.  Then we can become vessels of God's grace to others in the way we listen to them and the way we talk to them.  We can listen like Jesus and talk like Jesus, bringing glory to God and showering grace on others.

I don't know about you, but I want to be a part of CONVERSATIONS FULL OF GRACE!  I want to listen with grace and to speak with grace...to everyone!  If this is what I want and if this is what you want, then we need to be devoted to prayer.  We need to spend time in prayer with God, not just talking to Him but, most importantly, listening to Him.  He will give us grace and wisdom and love, and we can be funnels of God's grace, wisdom, and love to others.  And God can be glorified in my life and your life, which is what we are called to do in this world!