Colossians 1:3-8 NKJV

Colossians 1:3-8 NKJV

[3] We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, [4] since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; [5] because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, [6] which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; [7] as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, [8] who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

I find it interesting that Paul found encouragement from the faith of other believers. He was, after all, stuck in a Roman prison during the time. He had every right (and reason) to grumble. Instead of looking inward at his situation, he turned his focus outward to others.

Just today, I caught myself focusing on all of the things I have to do. So many boxes to check, calls to make, and jobs to get done. I made a conscious decision to say a prayer of thankfulness for all He has blessed me with. At my very next stop, I had a conversation about faith with my customers (whom I had never met until today). For the rest of the afternoon, my focus was shifted from worry to worship. God's goodness overshadows all of the troubles of the day. Sometimes we just need someone else's faith to encourage us.