The Good Qualities and What Paul Prayed For in Colosse
Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, once said "The minute you get away from fundamentals, whether its proper technique, work ethic or mental preparation, the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you're doing." One can deduce from this quote that when we get the fundamentals right, the level of whatever we are doing will grow. Paul gives thanks to God because the Colossians possessed good qualities of faith, love and hope. These good qualities are fundamental to the growth and character of the Church. Faith, love and hope were not merely theological ideas to Paul; they were fundamental and dominated his thinking as a Christian.
In economics they say, if the fundamentals are right, then the economy is set to grow. The reason why Paul is thankful is because the Church at Colossae possessed the three fundamental qualities essential for the growth and character of the Church. Faith is the knowledge that God is in total control of every situation in life and that He is always working in everything all the time and this is the faith that the Church at Colossae had in Jesus Christ. Genuine faith in Jesus will always lead people to love God and people. The Colossians had grown in their love for one another and we ought to love one another as Church the same manner Jesus Christ loved us. The reason why the Colossians had faith and have grown to love one another was because of the hope laid up for them in heaven. Hope is a confident expectation which rest upon the promises of God and that His Word can be trusted.
What greater compliment could any church receive than to hear the words that our faith, love and hope are causing other Christians to be giving thanks to God?
It comes as no surprise that after being grateful of Colossians' possession of the good fundamental qualities of growth, Paul prays that the Colossians grow in knowing God and in doing His will. To know God and what He requires of us is our first responsibility and when we do that we are able to walk in a manner worthy of Him and we bear good fruits in our mission as a Church. When we possess the good fundamental qualities Paul is grateful about, we can be set for growth as a Church.
| We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Colossians1:3-12) |
