Leading Through Change Devotional-Part 7

 Day 7-Walking Worthy

 

Colossians 1:9-11

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.”

 

            This is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. This prayer for those in Colosse from Paul and his companions is one we should be praying for those we lead and also one we should ask others would pray for us. There are three parts to these verses that I want to highlight.

            First is the phrase where is says, “ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”. If we as leaders not only knew God’s will, but were filled it with it, how would that change the way we do ministry? Especially considering that in addition to just knowing His will, this prayer also asks for the wisdom and spiritual understanding necessary to interpret and apply that will. I know sometimes as a leader I will wait around just hoping for Divine revelation. But I’ve learned that this rarely the right approach. Instead, we should be continually seeking for wisdom and guidance while being faithful and excelling in what we’ve already been called to. In James it says that if we ask for wisdom with faith, it will be granted to us. God has and will blow the sails across the water, but we have to have our boat in the water in order for that to happen. A second phrase is where Paul prays that we would “walk worthy of the Lord”. We have been entrusted with a great deal as a leader and of whom much has been asked, much will be required. It’s amazing to think that out of everyone in the world, God chose us to stewarding the people, resources, and opportunity that we are called to. While this should lead to confidence in the mission before us, it should also prompt us to strive all the more to multiply the talents in our hand and be found worthy of the calling. The final line to highlight is “being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”. All too often as a leader, we can focus on these two things, doing good things and becoming more knowledgeable. While these are both good goals to strive for, we must remember that we serve a relational God who desires for us to do things with Him, not just for him. The next line of this passage gives us the key, it’s about being “strengthen by His might”, not our own abilities and what we think we can accomplish for the Lord.

Questions for Consideration:

1. Are you preparing for when God gives direction or just waiting for a lightning bolt?
2. What are ways in which you’ve tried doing things for the Lord instead of with Him