The Ordinary Person’s Guide to Changing the World

How can ordinary people like us take part in God’s incredible rescue mission on earth?

As we draw near to the end of the book of Colossians, Ben explains three simple but powerful ways that we are able to make a difference in the world: pray earnestly, walk wisely, and speak graciously.

An ordinary person can be used by God to do extraordinary things if we're willing. God is on an incredible rescue mission and He has chosen us to be His witnesses. He has supplied all that's necessary to redeem a human soul and He's using us to deliver the message.

How do we get the message of the Gospel out into the world?

1. We pray earnestly. Colossians 4:2-4

• Pray continually. Persist in it. Devote yourself to it. Persevere. Jesus talked about this in Luke 18:1-8 in the parable of the persistent widow. If an unjust judge will pursue justice because of the relentless pressing of a widow seeking justice, how much more will a God of justice answer His own kids? God is inclined to hear you, are you inclined to talk to Him? If you don't pray, it's because you don't trust God. You don't think He's real or that He can do anything real in your life.
• Pray watchfully. Jesus did this in the Garden of Gethsemane. He told His disciples to watch and stay awake with Him. See Matthew 26:36-46. In his last prayers and sermons, He tells us to constantly be watchful and awake for His return. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5 we are called children of the day, not of the darkness. There's literally life and death at stake, so don't get lulled to sleep by entertainment or distraction. There's a bigger story playing out.
• Pray gratefully. We pray to our God who can do something. You can meet with the King of Kings.
• In Colossians 4:3, Paul tells us to pray for an opportunity. That God will open the door for the Gospel. See 1 Corinthians 16:9. God opens hearts to see the mystery of Christ, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. In 2 Corinthians 1:11, Paul says, "you must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."
• Colossians 4:4. Pray for clarity. Make it plain. Be able to explain it easily.

2. We walk wisely. Colossians 4:5

• Conduct yourself with wisdom. Paul prayed this for us at the beginning of this letter, that God would fill our life with spiritual wisdom that we would walk in a way pleasing to the Lord.
• Live out this Word. No one wants to buy your product if they don't see it in practice. It should be a normal thing for people to come to you and ask, "Why are you like that?"
• Make the best use of time, make the most of every opportunity. The Greek word for "make the most" is "exagorazo" and which is "snatch it out of the marketplace, meaning your time is diminishing, so if you see a good opportunity, snatch it.

3. Speak graciously. Colossians 4:6

• You are going to have to communicate and use words. You do good and live wisely in order to set up speaking about what this message does to you from the inside out.
• Be ready to give an answer always, but let it be gracious, gentle, and seasoned with salt.
• Know how to respond to each person. How you speak to an individual is going to be different person by person, but the message is the same. "We are winsome so that we may win some." Paul put this on display for us in 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 when he said he became all things to all people. Meet people where they are.

We pray. We walk. We speak. And God opens doors.