Prayer, Earnest and Awake

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Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2-4)

We know that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians. An example of his prayer for them is found in Colossians 1:3-8. Paul prayed for them, now toward the end of his letter, he told them to keep on praying themselves.

Specifically, Paul told them (and all Christians) to continue earnestly in prayer. This sort of earnest prayer is important, but does not come easy. Earnestly in prayer speaks of great effort that is steadily applied. Much of our prayer is powerless because it lacks earnestness. Too often we pray almost with the attitude of wanting God to care about things we really don’t care too much about.

Earnest prayer has power not because it in itself persuades a reluctant God. Instead, it demonstrates that our heart cares passionately about the same things God cares about. This fulfills what Jesus promised in John 15:7: If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.

Our prayers are not only to be earnest, but also vigilant. According to William Barclay, the idea behind the word translated vigilant is awake. In a sense, Paul told us to not fall asleep in prayer. Sometimes, because of the tiredness of our body or mind, we struggle against sleep when we pray. Other times we pray as if we were asleep, and our prayers simply sound and feel tired, sleepy.

Our earnestness and vigilance should also have thanksgiving. God gives us so much and blesses us with so much, that we should always thank Him as we ask Him.

Paul went on to give them something specific to pray for –himself! He wrote, “meanwhile praying also for us.” Paul seemed to say, “As long as we are on the subject of prayer, please pray for us!” But Paul didn’t ask for prayer for his personal needs (which were many), but that God would open to us a door for the word. Paul knew that when God’s word was active and free to work, great things happened for God.

Finally, notice that Paul asked the Colossians to pray for his preaching, so that he could speak the mystery of Christ, and do it as he ought to speak. When Paul wrote this, he was in chains for proclaiming the word of God. He wanted Christians to pray that he would keep doing proclaiming God’s word, and do it better all the time.

Pray earnestly, pray vigilantly – and if you can, pray for me. If Paul needed that prayer, I need it much more. Pray that the Lord continues to give David Guzik open doors to spread God’s word, and that I may proclaim His word as I ought to speak. Thank you!

 

Ein Wort an die Familie

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Ihr Frauen, ordnet euch euren Männern unter, wie sich’s gebührt im Herrn! Ihr Männer, liebt eure Frauen und seid nicht bitter gegen sie! Ihr Kinder, seid gehorsam euren Eltern in allem, denn das ist dem Herrn wohlgefällig! Ihr Väter, erbittert eure Kinder nicht, damit sie nicht unwillig werden! (Kolosser 3,18-21)

Durch Gott inspiriert schrieb der Apostel Paulus an die Christen darüber, wie sie ein Leben im Geist führen sollen. In diesem Abschnitt wendet er das Leben im Geist auf die christliche Familie an. Es gibt spezielle Dinge für christliche Ehemänner, Ehefrauen, Kinder und Eltern, die sie beachten sollen, wenn sie danach trachten, ein Leben zur Ehre Jesu zu führen.

Wir sollten diese Dinge aber nicht als die einzige Botschaft sehen, die Gott für christliche Familien hat. Es gibt noch viel mehr, besonders in den allgemeinen Anweisungen, die Gott in Bezug auf das Leben im Geist gibt. Wenn wir einfach nur treuer unsere christlichen Leben führten, würden wir sicher viel besser in den Familien zurecht kommen. Hier in Kolosser 3,18-21 lesen wir dies:

Die Ehefrauen sollen sich unterordnen. Bei der Unterordnung geht es in keiner Weise darum, dass einer besser, schlauer oder talentierter ist als der andere. Es ist eine von Gott bestimmte Ordnung. Männer und Frauen haben absolut den gleichen Stand vor Gott (wie in Galater 3,28), doch Gott bestimmt einzelne Rollen und Funktionen. Diese Unterordnung wird nicht gefordert, sondern getan, weil sie dem Herrn entspricht.

Das Wort für die Ehemänner ist Liebe. In einer christlichen Ehe sichert das die Anweisung für die Frau ab. Auch wenn die Frauen sich ihren Männern unterordnen sollen, darf der Mann sich niemals als Tyrann über seine Frau erheben. Die Leitung des Ehemannes zuhause muss eine Leitung voller Liebe sein.

Das Wort für die Kinder ist Gehorsam. Kinder, die noch im Haushalt ihrer Eltern und unter deren Autorität leben, müssen nicht nur ihren Vater und ihre Mutter ehren (wie in Epheser 6,2 steht), sondern sie müssen ihnen auch in allen Dingen gehorchen.

Die Eltern sollen nicht erbittern. Die Kinder haben die Verantwortung zu gehorchen, doch die Eltern haben die Verantwortung, ihre Kinder nicht zu erbittern. Eltern können ihre Kinder erbittern, indem sie zu streng, zu fordernd, zu kontrollierend sind, nicht vergeben oder einfach nur zornig sind. Diese Strenge kann sich durch Worte, durch Taten oder durch non-verbale Kommunikation zeigen.

In all dem sollte uns ein Punkt auffallen, den man manchmal übersieht. All das zeigt, dass Gott deine Familie wichtig ist. Im Moment mag deine Familie ein Segen oder eine Last für dich sein, doch egal wie, Gott kümmert es. Mit diesem Wissen kannst du beten und mutig gehorsam sein, da es deinen Glauben mit jedem Schritt stärkt.

Undercover Boss

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And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:32-24)

This section of Paul’s letter to the Colossians reads almost like the book of Proverbs. It is filled with lots of practical, easy to understand instruction about a wisdom-filled life that glorifies God. In this part, the apostle wrote to bondservants – people obligated in employment to others. It’s not a perfect analogy, but the ancient bondservant-master relationship was something like the modern employee-employer relationship.

In that context, Paul told the Colossians (and us today) to do everything heartily, as to the Lord. The “do” in this context mainly has in mind the work we do, but it really can be extended to everything we do.

Whatever you do, do it heartily. Put some passion and effort into what you do. Don’t work or play like a robot, doing a job but with no heart. It’s been said that there are no boring days, only boring people. Whether at work or play, living life heartily reflects the glory of God and it gives Him glory.

Whatever you do, do it as to the Lord. Realize that in work your real boss is God. In recreation your real partner is God. He is Master and Lord over all, so all should be done as to Him. If God directly asked you to clean a window, you would do a great job. Doing everything as to Him makes a big difference in attitude and performance. No Christian should be a dishonest, lazy, or unreliable worker.

Whatever you do, do it not to men. It is likely that a flesh and blood human being is your supervisor or customer. Like all humans, they have their faults. This usually affects your attitude toward what you do for them. Yet the Christian does not ultimately serve men, but God. Lift your service to heaven; elevate it from earth.

Whatever you do, realize you will receive the reward. Sometimes hard work does not get rewarded on earth. But God knows how to take care of His people, and for them none of what they have done as to the Lord will go unrewarded. Do your work heartily and as to the Lord and you will always come out ahead.

At the end of verse 24 Paul repeated an idea when he wrote, for you serve the Lord Christ. According to Wright, this is an unusual phrase. Elsewhere in his letters Paul wrote the Lord Jesus Christ. It may be that Paul’s idea was that our true master, our true boss is Jesus. So remember whom you work for—you serve the Lord Christ.

If we think of Jesus as our true boss, remember that He was and is the greatest “undercover boss” of all time. He came to live, serve, and suffer among us. Jesus knew what hard work was like in all His years as a carpenter or builder. He did all His work heartily, as unto His Father. He can sympathize with you in the difficulties you have to doing whatever you do heartily as unto the Lord, and He can strengthen you to do it better. Then, at the end of it all, He rewards you for what He strengthened you to do! You’ll never find a better boss than Jesus.

Tut alles

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Und was immer ihr tut in Wort oder Werk, das tut alles im Namen des Herrn Jesus und dankt Gott, dem Vater, durch ihn. (Kolosser 3,17)

Durch Seine Gnade sind wir neue Menschen in Jesus Christus. Dieselbe Macht, die Jesus von den Toten auferweckte, wirkt in dem Gläubigen und bringt ihm ein neues Leben und ein neues Herz. Die Veränderungen des neuen Lebens passieren nicht auf einmal, und sie sind, bis wir verherrlicht im Himmel sind, nicht vollendet.

Der neue Mensch braucht Anweisungen. Er will lernen und instinktiv Gott gehorchen, also will er gelehrt werden. Darum gibt die Bibel dem neuen Menschen praktische Anweisungen, wie wir leben sollen – was man tun sollte und was nicht.

Hin und wieder lesen wir eine wunderbare Zusammenfassung, etwas, an das man sich leicht erinnern kann, als festen Leitsatz, wie man als neuer Mensch in Jesus Christus leben sollte. Kolosser 3,17 ist eine solche Zusammenfassung.

Zuerst steht dort was immer ihr tut. Das deckt alles ab; jedes gesprochene Wort, jede Tat. Gott ist das alles wichtig.

Gott will, dass wir folgendes mit jedem Wort und jeder Tat tun: tut alles im Namen des Herrn Jesus. Einfach ausgedrückt: der neue Mensch lebt sein Leben, sein ganzes Leben, für Jesus. Er hat nur Interesse daran, Dinge zu tun, die dem Charakter, der Ehre und dem Herzen von Jesus entsprechen. Der neue Mensch möchte nur Dinge tun, die Jesus gutheißen würde.

Das gibt uns eine Richtlinie für die schweren Entscheidungen, denen wir manchmal gegenüber stehen. Wir fragen uns, ob dieses oder jenes erlaubt ist. Stell dir die Frage: „Könnte Jesus das unterschreiben? Kann ich das im Namen des Herrn Jesus tun?“ Wenn du das auf jedes Wort, das du sprichst, und jede Tat, die du tust, anwendest, ist das eine gute Richtlinie.

Das kannst du nur wissen, wenn du etwas von Jesus weißt, und der einzig verlässliche Ort etwas über Jesus zu lernen, ist Gottes Wort, insbesondere die vier Evangelien. Je besser du Jesus durch Sein Wort kennst, desto besser wirst du in der Lage sein, alles, was du in Wort und Tat tust, in Seinem Namen zu tun.

Sicher wirst du es manchmal falsch machen. Doch selbst dann wird Gott dein Herz sehen und ehren, wenn es dein Ziel war, alles im Namen des Herrn Jesus zu tun und zu sagen.

Der letzte Aspekt, über den man nachdenken sollte, ist, dass wir bei allem, was wir tun, Gott, dem Vater, durch ihn danken sollen. Wir reden und handeln mit einer Einstellung der Dankbarkeit gegenüber Gott und erinnern uns an das, was Er in der Vergangenheit getan hat und an Seine Verheißungen für die Zukunft. In der Vergangenheit, der Gegenwart und der Zukunft haben wir alle Grund, dankbar zu sein.

A Word to the Family

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Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. (Colossians 3:18-21)

Inspired by God, the Apostle Paul wrote to Christians, telling them about life in the Spirit. In this section he applied the idea of walking in the Spirit to the Christian family. There are specific things for Christian husbands, wives, children, and parents to keep in mind as they seek to live to the honor of Jesus.

We shouldn’t regard these things as the only message God has for the Christian family. There is much more, especially in the general instruction God gives regarding life in the Spirit. If we would simply live more faithful Christian lives, we would surely get along better in our families. You can find much more specific instruction on the Christian marriage in this audio teaching series. Here’s what we find in Colossians 3:18-21:

The word to wives is submit. The idea of submission doesn’t have anything to do with someone being smarter or better or more talented. It has to do with a God-appointed order. Men and women have absolutely equal standing before God (as in Galatians 3:28), but God appoints particular roles and functions. This isn’t submission that is demanded, but done because it is fitting the Lord.

The word to husbands is love. In the Christian marriage, this safeguards the instruction to the wife. Though wives are to submit to their husbands, it never excuses husbands acting as tyrants over their wives. A husband’s leadership in the home must be a leadership of love.

The word to children is obey. Children who are still in their parents’ household and under their authority must not only honor their father and mother (as in Ephesians 6:2), but they must also obey them, and in all things.

The word to parents is do not provoke. Children have a responsibility to obey, but parents have a responsibility to not provoke their children. Parents can provoke their children by being too harsh, too demanding, too controlling, unforgiving, or just plain angry. This harshness can be expressed through words, through actions, or through non-verbal communication.

In it all, we should also take away a point that is obvious but sometimes is overlooked. All this shows us that God cares about your family. Right now your family might be a blessing or a burden to you, but either way God cares. You can pray and boldly obey with that knowledge strengthening your faith every step of the way.

Do It All

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And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)

We are made new men (or new women) in Jesus Christ out of the free gift of His grace. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead works in the believer, bringing new life and a new heart. The changes of the new life don’t happen all at once, and the changing isn’t complete until we are glorified in heaven.

The new man needs instruction. He is ready to learn and instinctively wants to obey God, so he wants to be taught. That’s why the Bible gives new men and new women practical instruction on how to live – what to do and what not to do.

Every once in a while we read a wonderful summary statement, something that is easily remembered as a solid guide to how we should live as new men and women in Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:17 is one of those statements.

It first speaks to whatever you do in word or deed. That covers just about everything; every word spoken, every deed done. God cares about them all.

Here is what God wants us to do with every word and every deed: do them all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Simply said, the new man (or woman) lives his life, all his life, for Jesus. They are only interested in doing the things that can be done according to the character of Jesus, consistent with the honor of Jesus, and with the heart of Jesus. The new man only wants to do things that Jesus could put His name on, that Jesus would endorse.

This gives a wonderful guide for the tough choices we sometimes face. We wonder if something should be permitted or denied in our life. Ask the question: “Could Jesus put His name to this? Can I do this in the name of the Lord Jesus?” If you apply that to every word you speak and every deed you do, you will have a good guide.

You can only know that if you know something of Jesus, and the only truly reliable place to learn Jesus is from God’s word, especially the four gospels. The better you know Jesus through His word, the better you will be able to do everything in word and deed in His name.

For certain, sometimes you will get it wrong. Yet even in those times God will see and honor your heart, if the true goal was to say and do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

The last aspect of this to think about is that we also do everything giving thanks to God the Father through Him. We say and do all things with an attitude of gratitude to God, remembering all He has done in the past and all He promises for the future. In the past, present, and future we all have reasons to be thankful.