September 1, 2011

“Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.” Colossians 4:2-4 The Message

It takes the life of Christ to live life in Christ. The life you live in Christ is the same life He lived before the Cross and now risen from the dead. His life was lived in prayer .. seeing this world in His Father’s will and serving in His Father’s will. Your life is to be lived the same way .. in your Father’s will .. walking in His ways .. lived eyes-opened for making Christ as “plain as day”. We live in a fallen world .. filled with darkness .. gripped in desperation .. and a determined to live life on “our” terms. You’re not here by accident or coincidence. You’re here to be a grace-filled insider living among outsiders. What marks your life is a Christ-given grace that is revealed in the most unusual opportunity and in the most common of opportunities. Your life is to bring out the “best” in others. And for that to happen God is at work in you .. bringing out the best of you in Christ. God will meet you in your deepest and darkest jail and He’ll bring you out so that you will know and live a life of prayer-filled diligence. It is Christ in you who keeps you alert. It is you in Christ who daily seeks His face and trusts in His love. It is not a formula .. it is a life of faith. And this is the life Christ longs to live in you .. today. It only takes a moment …

“Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” Colossians 4:5-6 The Message

Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Eyes-Opened Followers of Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@prioriytone.org)