Jan. 10

Read Colossians 3
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 your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (The Message)

Paul was an evangelist first and foremost. Where ever he traveled he did everything he could to share the message of Jesus with everyone he encountered. Because he traveled so much he knew that some people he met he would never have another chance to share the message with them again. In this passage Paul is encouraging his listeners to be as aware of their encounters with others as he is. Paul's encouragement to make the most of every opportunity is not an encouragement to grab the gusto but rather an invitation to make sure that each person they encounter might be drawn closer to God by their actions rather than pushed away. Paul's way of approaching people was a way of life not just an evangelism tool. He seems to have truly cared about each person he met and was intent on knowing them for who they were in that moment. You can see his attention to the details of peoples lives in parts of his letters when he names specific people and their life circumstances.
I wonder how our relationships might be different if we made the most of each opportunity to be fully present with the people we interact with?

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• With what you know about Paul what would you say he did to make the most of his opportunities as he interacted with other people?
• Do you find yourself making the most of your time with people and being fully present or does your mind often wonder in other directions?
• Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone that you look back on as a life changing event? What was it like?
• Who do you need to be more present with in your daily encounters so that they might not be turned off to the message of Jesus love?