Unbelievers reading today’s devotional will probably try to think of ways to confuse a Christian as they test them on their ‘faith’. Christians may sometimes wonder ‘what’s the big deal about pretending to be something that others want you to be?’. Jesus said that if we have been touched by the God, we should be ready at all times to give an account of all that He did for us. Let’s examine what Paul was really teaching us in today’s Scripture.

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 4:5-6
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 Walk in the wisdom of God as you live before the unbelievers, and make it your duty to make him known. 6 Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith.

APPLICATION: What do others see in you during their encounters with you? Yes, they will probably see you without pretense, for you always try to live by the motto ‘what you see, is what you get’! I believe that if we were preparing a timeline that would show the influences in our lives, there may be specific mention of parents; siblings – especially older siblings; grandparents and other older family members such as aunts and uncles; school teachers; Sunday School teachers; pastors and other church leaders; spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend; employers; special coworkers; friends – good, bad or indifferent; and of course, Jesus. To ensure that I take no one for granted, I understand that some readers would not include one or more of these people into their timeline, and some will be able to add others that I have not thought of. It would be a great exercise to add under each person, what attributes you feel they added to your life! In our Scripture Paul is teaching us from his present stand, not only as a prisoner, but from his personal experiences and as a messenger of the Gospel. Let’s remember that his former name was Saul – a persecutor of the Christians. So right away we are confident that He speaks to us from a life of varied experiences. Paul also knew that during his time as a prisoner, other prisoners could have looked at him as just another criminal, or for the qualities that they saw in him. He recommended that we (Christians) make a goal for ourselves: ‘to make our Lord known to all that we come into contact with’. To do this, our whole perspective on others will change, for we will see them as valuable in God’s eyes – whether they are a prisoner, a criminal, a dad who abandoned his children or a person who is constantly conjuring up evil thoughts about attacking God’s kids. Paul also gave us great advice about how we are to speak – especially with unbelievers:
-> First, let our words be drenched with grace. Only God can fill our hearts with grace. So from a heart filled with the power and humbleness of our Lord Jesus, carefully speak words filled, or drenched with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit;
-> Words tempered with truth and clarity – no need to try and impress the unbeliever. Let Jesus complete His work through you. Keep it simple, filled with only the facts – truth. Make sure that the hearer not only hears you, but understands what you are sharing with them. As a Christian, you may have developed quite a vocabulary of ‘church’ lingo that an unbeliever may simply not understand. Make sure that you and your hearer is on the same page and understand each other as you speak. To speak volumes with someone and they didn’t understand what you said, is an unfortunate waste of your time, and most unfortunate in neglecting to share the Gospel truth;
Friends, others will surely want to know why you are different and why you believe the way you do. Using the above tips from Paul, he warned us to be ready to share as the opportunity presents itself. Wouldn’t it be neat if today God gave you the opportunity to share why you believe the way that you do, and why God is so important in your life? Be ready, dear friend!

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You know exactly what today will bring forth, You know the people we will meet and even their heart’s condition. Please prepare my readers and I so that we may share Your love, Your character, and Your saving grace effortlessly with those we meet. Please place them in our path today, and give us peace and wisdom to share what You would have them hear in order to make a decision to accept You as Lord and Savior of their lives. Please bless Your children today and all that will be accomplished in Your name. AMEN!