Leaning Towards Others

This morning I felt led to read from Paul's letter to Colossians 4:2-6 NIV:

[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."

This letter is one written while Paul was in prison, or at least in chains, and that means it was late in his life.  He had completed his voluntary missionary journeys, and was now a prisoner and likely within a few years of his martyrdom in Rome.  I love his humility, arguably one of the greatest evangelists, an apostle and responsible for many of the letters in the New Testament, and Paul is asking for prayers to help him proclaim the Gospel clearly as he should.  This helps me in knowing that the one person who effectively communicated the Gospel to thousands, was always looking to refine his message and do better.  

His next encouragement to keep our conversations full of grace is one of the most important encouragements, in my eyes.  It is so easy for us to slide into presenting the Gospel with a judgmental spirit, and Paul is encouraging essentially the opposite.  The Greek word he uses (here translated grace) is "charis" and that is defined as follows - Cognate: 5485 xáris (another feminine noun from xar-, "favor, disposed to, inclined, favorable towards, leaning towards to share benefit") – properly, grace. 5485 (xáris) is preeminently used of the Lord's favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is "always leaning toward them").  In other words, our conversation should be clearly FOR those individuals that we are talking to.  

I love the imagery of Jesus leaning towards those He was talking to, as in leaning towards them with favor, wanting to hear from them, that He can answer their needs!  What a great model for interactions with all we meet!  Notice Paul's next statement, "so that you may know how to answer everyone", indicates an assumed listening!  We can't answer someone if they haven't talked first, so Paul is assuming that our conversations should be relational, a back and forth conversation, and not just a proclamation of our opinions and observations.

One thing I have learned is that my judgments and ideas about people are always flawed.  I know so little about their lives, about their history, about what has been said to them, what has happened, and even how they think, that my external observations are always lacking.  Even when I get to know someone really well, I still don't fully know their thoughts, their internal processing, or even what from their past might be affecting them.  Oh, that whoever I meet and converse with might walk away from our conversation knowing that I was for them, that I was interested in them, and that I wanted to hear from them!

This morning I am encouraged to be aware of my interactions with others, so that I might know how to answer everyone, with grace filled, favor filled words and attention!  Yes, Lord, please help me to represent You in grace, favor and mercy.

Amen!