Meeting 6/13/20
Col. 4:7-18
Final greetings from Paul in his letter to the Colossians...
Paul will close his letter in this passage of scripture. In it we see a listing of key players in his ministry, some of which we haven't heard of up to this point, so it's somewhat of a delightful discovery to see the unveiling of his team behind the scenes. We tend to attempt to assemble the details together to get a grasp of what the picture looks like. It can be as difficult as putting a jig saw puzzle together without having the picture on the box to reference, so we enjoy and appreciate any of these details to help fill in any gaps in the story.
But I propose an additional perspective. I believe we should take this very personally. This letter, for one, was representative of hearts on fire for and committed to God. Read through it and note the very personal and honorable listing as if they truly were family. I see it as a calling to inspect our hearts and visit once again our position on God's team. What part do we play in this? Are we doing what He has assigned us to do? Is it time for some conditioning to get back in shape? Is it time to get back in the game instead of sitting on the sidelines? We need to ask the hard questions and see where we stand and what He would have us do.
Each member of the body serves a very specific purpose. Each is equally valuable to be effective and influential. We all have our place on His team. Let's learn our positions and play with heart. That's what I see in this passage. Even as specific people were mentioned, I see one heart, living with heart, unified by the Holy Spirit, and connected to God's heart. To me, it's very personal. My part matters. Your part matters. We are all in this together, with one goal and purpose in mind. We play for one Coach, on the winning team. We denounce selfish agendas, as they don't help propel the team forward towards a successful game. We carry forward the Coach's agenda and plan; therefore, we bear His name on our jerseys, not ours.
What if you were hearing this letter read aloud to the team, and the speaker worked his way down to the very end, where he specifically called out your name, "See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord."?
