April 3--Colossians

Colossians 1:5-8
The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of Truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the spirit.

The gospel of our restoration to relationship in Christ started working in their hearts since the very first day they heard and understood. That relationship with Christ has not grown stagnant, but is growing and bearing fruit—y’like how those two are together—grow=you bear fruit as a result.
Even though Paul is this amazing minister, he doesn’t work alone—he has dear fellow servants that he works with.
Epaphras didn’t keep to himself what God was doing in the lives of those he was ministering to, but he told others—especially those he was working in tandem with.

The word picture I can think of is two hands clutching an apple. We don’t work alone, we don’t serve God alone—there is more than one (hence the two hands). We don’t keep what God has blessed us with to ourselves, but we share it with others (hence them being together cupped around the apple). And finally, when we are growing in Christ we will be bearing fruit. Share that fruit with others—grow together! It’s all about relationships—both vertical and horizontal.