Reaching into the mailbox today I wondered if it would be the usual direct mail pieces offering coupons for pizza, carpet cleaning specials, or an envelope marked “urgent” only to find a marketing gimmick inside. But today was different. There wasn’t just one, but two envelopes with a personal touch. With a smile on my face and pep in my step, I was eager to get inside and unveil the contents. The first was bulky and to my surprise it was the sweetest handmade valentine card with googly eyes and a cute note saying, “I’m wild about you”. I love being loved by a two-year-old. The other was a letter of encouragement and appreciation from a dear friend. Both were a beautiful reminder that someone was thinking of me and at that moment I felt so connected to them and I just wanted to hug them. With a grateful heart, I prayed for them and thanked God for them.
With the technology shift to email, text, and social media along with the rising costs of postage, letter writing and snail mail have decreased. In an article published by CBS News on October 11, 2021 by Fred Backus it was written that, “Most Americans haven't written a personal letter on paper in over five years.” The article continued, “Few Americans are writing letters these days — at least not the kind written by hand on paper and sent through the mail. Just under a third have written a personal letter within the past twelve months. For many Americans it's been even longer. Thirty-seven percent say it's been over five years since they've written and sent a personal letter, while another 15% of adults have never written and sent a personal letter.”
This prompts me to want to write more letters. And it makes me thankful for the letters that I’ve received. The best letters though, are those found in the Bible. Today we are going to look at a small but powerful nugget from a letter written to the church in Colossae to warn against false teaching and to encourage the believers in their growth toward Christian maturity. Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”
Can you imagine such a letter? To hear that you are so loved and cared for that you would be prayed for continually, and that you would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, and that you would live for the Lord? Go grab your Bible and read the first 14 verses. Hey, why not read the entire letter while you’re at it! And then pray Colossians 1:9-12 for your loved ones, pray it for one another, and pray it for yourself. Don’t fall into the trap of simply saying that you’ll pray and then forget to do so. Paul prayed and then told them what they needed to learn. That’s what pastors are to do with churches. That’s what parents are to do with children.
Now is the time to grow. Don’t be stagnant and content with just wanting to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, but take that next action step; live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. Read a few letters and I’m not talking about those that land in your mailbox. There are many letters in the NT. You’ve got mail!
Growth. Opt for it. Expect it. Do it.
2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
With the technology shift to email, text, and social media along with the rising costs of postage, letter writing and snail mail have decreased. In an article published by CBS News on October 11, 2021 by Fred Backus it was written that, “Most Americans haven't written a personal letter on paper in over five years.” The article continued, “Few Americans are writing letters these days — at least not the kind written by hand on paper and sent through the mail. Just under a third have written a personal letter within the past twelve months. For many Americans it's been even longer. Thirty-seven percent say it's been over five years since they've written and sent a personal letter, while another 15% of adults have never written and sent a personal letter.”
This prompts me to want to write more letters. And it makes me thankful for the letters that I’ve received. The best letters though, are those found in the Bible. Today we are going to look at a small but powerful nugget from a letter written to the church in Colossae to warn against false teaching and to encourage the believers in their growth toward Christian maturity. Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”
Can you imagine such a letter? To hear that you are so loved and cared for that you would be prayed for continually, and that you would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, and that you would live for the Lord? Go grab your Bible and read the first 14 verses. Hey, why not read the entire letter while you’re at it! And then pray Colossians 1:9-12 for your loved ones, pray it for one another, and pray it for yourself. Don’t fall into the trap of simply saying that you’ll pray and then forget to do so. Paul prayed and then told them what they needed to learn. That’s what pastors are to do with churches. That’s what parents are to do with children.
Now is the time to grow. Don’t be stagnant and content with just wanting to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, but take that next action step; live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. Read a few letters and I’m not talking about those that land in your mailbox. There are many letters in the NT. You’ve got mail!
Growth. Opt for it. Expect it. Do it.
2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”