Week of June 20

Godly Fathers are Jacketed with Wisdom

Read: 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18-19; Colossians 4
 
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Colossians 4:5-6, ESV

Introduction

“Train up a child in the way he should go—but be sure you go that way yourself,” says Charles Spurgeon. May I take some liberty with his profound statement? I hope so! Paul might write, “Train up a church in the way that it should go—but be sure to lead by your example.” If I were to encapsulate the point made in Colossians 4, it would be this one. The Apostle Paul zeroes in on the prayer life and the life lived by God’s wisdom. Let’s learn how to apply spiritual wisdom to our lives in order to flourish and to be an effective witness to the gospel of Christ.

Let's See What the Bible Says

This last section in the letter ends as Paul has opened it by urging his readers to pray. His request for prayer calls for the church to “persist” in it. We would say to sustain it. The prayer was to blanket the church and Paul. The main idea of being devoted to prayer is supported in two ways: watching (4:2) and praying (4:3). We do well to maintain a spirit of watchfulness when we pray and to pray for our church leaders. All churches are to be characterized by prayer. Mature disciples, as we will see next, will be an outflow of this type of fellowship.

Secondly, Paul instructs the Colossians to be wise, and he uses a word that has a rich meaning. Wisdom is a capacity of mind that gives one a full understanding of “human life and its moral fulfillment.” We would say that a person walks about blindly without wisdom in his or her life. We should know that God is the ultimate source for wisdom, and it is a central part of His nature and the way He created the earth and humankind (cf. Proverbs 3:19; Psalm 104:24). Since we are created by God, then we have the God-given capacity for wisdom. Yet, there is more in this context.

We are urged to walk in wisdom toward those who are outsiders to the faith (4:5). Life in the Spirit means that a person possesses spiritual wisdom, which is much different than worldly wisdom (cf. philosophy). The fullness of this wisdom does not originate from human reason, but is revealed to the world through the life and ministry of Jesus (Luke 2:40, 52; Matthew 13:54) and of the church (Ephesians 3:10; Baker). True spiritual wisdom is God’s gift and is evident in God’s servants (cf. Acts 6:10; 2 Peter 3:15).

This type of wisdom is required to live fully the life God has given to us and we should desire it and pray for others to receive it (Colossians 1:9). The heart of wisdom, and please do not miss this truth, is the gospel of the crucified and resurrected Christ. The gospel of Christ is both the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). The bottom line, which is foolishness to the world, is that the only way to answer life’s ultimate questions is wrapped up in an encounter with the living God. The death and resurrection of Jesus (gospel) is where this encounter must be made. Got it? Good!

Finally, we must absolutely keep in mind that it is never enough to share the gospel with someone if our lives do not reflect the truth of our words (4:6; cf. EBC). True, indeed, if we were silent, God could make rocks give witness to the gospel in Jesus Christ, but this is not His primary plan. We, the church, are that plan! Paul earlier has encouraged the Colossians to know wisdom, but here he prays for them to live it. Outsiders need to see the truth of the gospel in our lives to know that it will work.

It is fitting that Paul ends his letter to the Colossians with a plea that the wisdom that comes from God, and that blesses our lives, should be used to influence others to come to Christ. This attention to winsomeness is the proper use of this key virtue!

Let's Deepen Our Walk

Here is a simple anecdote for application. I had enrolled in a course of study in Oxford, and my first trip over was quite a learning experience. I stepped off the plane and into a culture that looked like mine back home but was separated by the same English language! They used the same words, but they did not place the accent on the last syllable like Texans often do. I hardly understood a word the English people said.

Oxford also was a global melting pot, and I found myself feeling like Paul must have felt when he entered into Athens or Ephesus or Corinth. I quickly learned, however, that the English don official attire that helps one to identify their occupations. When I became lost, I sought a person wearing a fluorescent yellow jacket!

These persons typically were laborers who knew the local area quite well. I found them to be most helpful. Father’s Day will be observed this Sunday; however, the point of godly fatherhood is being clothed daily in prayer and God’s wisdom because our families and others will be able to find their way to Christ through our lives.

Here are some thoughts for our spiritual growth. First, Divine, or spiritual wisdom, results in an effective witness, so we should be filled with it. Secondly, Paul simply wants us to make our time count for Christian purposes. We may do this by making our words count—grace-filled and well-seasoned (4:6). Our charm is to be fed from the reservoir of God’s grace and with conversations that are acceptable and inoffensive (EBC).

Let's Think and Discuss

1. Fathers (mothers and children, too), carefully evaluate the place of prayer and the source of wisdom that is operative in your life. Are others encouraged to follow Christ through you? What changes will you make so that your life will reflect Godly wisdom?

2. For families: with Father’s Day coming up on June 20th, perhaps it would be a great surprise to get the children together to write notes to their fathers or grandfathers, brothers, or uncles. Have them write W-I-S-D-O-M on the inside fold of their card, and think of words that describe the Christian qualities of their Dad, or the important man in their lives, using the letters from the word Wisdom.

On Father's Day, invite the children to read the verse from this passage, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:5-6). Then let them present their cards to their Dad, with a special promise to pray that he will grow in wisdom, as they do too!

May all your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock