Daily Manna

Key Verse

“As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ” (Colossians 1:7).

TEXT — Colossians 1:7-8

Message

“Give of your best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth; Throw your soul’s fresh glowing ardor; Into the battle for truth. Jesus has set the example, Dauntless was He, young and brave; Give Him your loyal devotion; Give Him the best that you have…” These lines, written in 1902 by Howard Benjamin Grose, a Baptist minister, educator, and hymn writer, have to date, continued to stir the hearts of Christian believers to unreserved consecration.

Although Epaphras did not enjoy a prominent mention in the Bible, the little we read about him suggests that he embodied the appeal of Grose’s hymn. He gave his best and the strength of his youth to the Master. Apostle Paul with whom he had closely worked referred to him as “a faithful minister of Christ.” Epaphras was a resident of Colosse, a city located in Asia Minor (modern Turkey), and was a minister in the church there. He visited Paul in Rome to bring him a report about the state of the church back in Colosse, and to seek his intervention concerning the false teaching that was creeping in among the brethren.

In Epaphras, we see the quality of faithfulness which has always been rare among men. It is not for naught that the Bible says, “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6). Sadly, many people who profess to be Christians and even ministers of the gospel exhibit attitudes and behaviours that portray them as untrustworthy. Epaphras was not only a faithful minister but also a servant leader. Like Christ, he had the heart of a servant and was not driven by selfishness, ego, or quest for fame. His passion for truth made him labour fervently and selflessly to ensure that the Colossian church stood “perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).

It will be useful for us to pause and reflect on where we stand in God’s rating in terms of commitment to the truth, faithfulness, quality of service to Christ and His church as well as passion for evangelism. Like Epaphras, let’s show our passion through actions.

Thought for the day

You may depend on the Lord, but can He depend on you?

• Bible
• in one year
• Luke 1 – 2 (Read By Alexander Scourby)