Faithfulness - Col. 1:7

 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ...

Faithfulness is often an undervalued virtue.  Sometimes Christians have their own priorities and sometimes secret agendas that interfere with their commitment to the Kingdom of God and its representatives.  They may seem like 'superstars,' but they are gone as soon as something crosses their own will or desires.

A person must be found faithful, like Epaphras, to move ahead in the things of God.  Faithfulness is not an option.  As an employer, I would rather have an employee who is faithful and slower at work than a fantastic worker who is undependable.  Faithfulness is proven under pressure and conflicting desires.  Will we hold true to our commitments or betray those who trust us?  Ultimately, how we treat God's servants is how we treat Him.

Teamwork - Col. 1:7

 You learned it first from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant...  Col. 1:7a

Paul was probably the greatest of the apostles.  He wrote the majority of the New Testament.  He had special revelation.  He needed a messenger from satan to keep him humble.  Yet we don't find him operating alone.  In the first verse, he acknowledges Timothy; here, he gives credit to Epaphras.  Paul worked with a team.  The Lone Ranger strategy is not Biblical, and it is dangerous.

No matter who we are, we need to be part of a team.  We need to be willing to give credit where credit is due, prefer others over ourselves, and value their ministry and contributions.  We need to have people who can speak into our lives.  Even Paul submitted what he was teaching to the other apostles to ensure he was on the right track.  It is so easy to be led astray if we don't have - or won't listen to - a team around us.  Everyone has something to give.  Let us appreciate and be thankful for the people God has put in our lives.

God's Grace - Col. 1:6

 ...just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.  Col. 1:6, NIV

The Gospel grew and bore fruit because of two things.  

First, they heard about it.  The seed was planted.  How can someone respond to the Gospel without being told about it?  We have to hear about it.  Evangelism is not the only thing in the Christian life, but it is a vital part of it.  We need to share the good news with those around us.  The good news is that we can have a relationship with God as we were created to.

Second, they understood God's Grace.  God's Grace is His choosing us, working with us and enabling us for His own good pleasure based on no work or attribute of our own.  When we begin to realize that we are loved by God because of Who He is, not because of Who we are, we can let any tension in our relationship with God seep away.  We can be at peace.  We can work with confidence.  We can be who we were created to be.  The joy of the Lord can be our strength.