Keep On Keepin' On

Today marks my last blog through our journey in Colossians. Depending on when you began, you may still have a little more to go. Let me encourage you to keep going till the very last verse. Even to the last sentence of Colossians, I found God speaking both encouragement and conviction into me. I hope to close this series of blogs by bringing you the sweet encouragement that reverberated as I neared the last few verses of Paul’s letter.In Colossians 4:10-11, Paul is almost ready to wrap things up. He’s giving some final greetings and lists three specific men (Aristarchus, Mark and Justus) who are sending their greetings to the readers of Paul’s letter. Then, Paul makes this statement about these three men:

These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.(Colossians 4:11b)

Don’t forget, Paul’s writing this letter from a stark prison cell. There’s no telling how many people have distanced themselves from Paul over time. Some probably supported him privately, but didn’t want to risk guilt by association. Some might have decided he was just a little too committed. Others just forgot about him when he was locked away. But not these three. They’d been the comfort Paul desperately needed.As I read this verse, the Lord immediately brought to mind the three of four people who provide me comfort. They’re the ones who always encourage me. They pray for me before I ask. They feel safe. As I thought about them, I realized I needed to make sure they know how grateful I am for their comfort. There have been strategic days when the enemy was roaring and their text, call, email, or encouragement helped me keep on keepin’ on.[bctt tweet="When the enemy roars, who encourages you to keep on keeping' on?"]Who comforts you? If you’ve not thanked them recently, I encourage you to stop and send them a text. Make a phone call. Let them know how grateful you are. Don’t wait till the perfect time to communicate perfectly. Just do it.Immediately behind this thought, we have one more question we must ask: Who’s counting on my comfort?As I prayed, the Lord didn’t take long to bring a few names to my mind. These are women in the trenches who God has allowed to cross my path. It’s my privilege to comfort them. In the same way that I’m counting on others to comfort me and I hope the Lord keeps me on their heart, I need to be intentional to keep being a source of comfort to them.What about you? Who needs you to be a source of comfort? Extend comfort and encouragement to them today. You’ll never regret loving well.