Take a Moment To Look For The Open Door
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:5-6
Whatever amount of time we each have on this earth is short. But I believe we truly are in a time in Biblical history where time is of the essence. I love the directive that Paul gives us in this scripture in Colossians. It tells me that we need to slow it down a pace in order to walk with wisdom everywhere our daily routine takes us. Whether we are in the office, running errands, waiting while our groceries are being rung up, we are confronted with opportunity.
If we walk in wisdom as Paul suggests and as we find in Proverbs 28:26 – we are to submit our own opinions and understanding to what we believe God is saying and where he is directing. You may think you are just standing by waiting for that final number on the monitor at the grocery store – but really – you are facing an opportunity to redeem that time. So, in whatever circumstances you find yourself, consider with wisdom, the person before you. Redeem the time by speaking in such a way that you leave that person as salt does, thirsty for more.
There are so many people that are hurting today. They are all around us. Most of them wouldn’t even consider telling a stranger about what is going on in their lives. UNLESS that stranger is walking in wisdom and asks. I became determined a few years ago to really see who is in front of me. I start by asking how that grocery check-out person is, or the lady who hands me my coffee at the drive through, or the person who sits next to me in a waiting room. How are you, how is your day? You might be surprised by how much they do reveal. My next question is, can I pray for you? I can honestly tell you that no one has yet said no to me. I have prayed for the hostess at a restaurant with several people surrounding. I have stretched my hand out through my car window and held the hand of the young lady who had just given me my coffee through the drive through window and prayed. I have invited to church the young person in the little shop I frequent, to attend church with me. In almost every circumstance that person I prayed with has said; I really needed this. Some shed tears throughout the prayer.
Colossians 4:3; “…praying also for us that God would open to us a door for the word…” I pray for these opportunities and boy does God ever provide them. You may say that you don’t have the boldness to deliver the word, to pray with a stranger. If you feel you are lacking in that boldness all you need do is ask God for it. The disciples did. Not all of them were born with a fearlessness. But we must ask God to make us effective in seizing the opportunities to share Christ. We must, as Paul said, redeem the time. It is short indeed and there is hardship and fearfulness all around us. We are living in a world of hurting people. They are right in front of us.
In Philippians Paul warns essentially about being self-absorbed, worrying about our economic situation, our job, our family. Paul admonishes us to be others focused.
We really must take our role seriously. With great joy and anticipation, we should be asking God each morning to put someone in our path today that we can bless. Someone we can share the life-saving message of Christ with. Take me out of myself and let me see who is in front of me oh God. Serving those outside the body of Christ should be our upmost priority. Spare a moment to see that open door that Paul talks about.
“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…” Colossians 4:3
