Lesson 21 – Serving with Accountability, part 1 (4:7-18)
Read Colossians 4 - www.bible.com/bible/59/col.4

In the remaining verses of this book we look at how we, to be stable in our Christian walk, must hold ourselves accountable to others. This is not at all easy for most of us, because we don’t like to think of others interfering in our lives or our ministry. Let’s read these verses, and from the Apostle Paul’s example, learn how we too need to humble ourselves.  Remember Colossians 3:12 where we are asked to “put on humility, meekness and patience?"

Verses 7 and 8 show us humility and accountability as we encourage others through telling them what Christ has done for us. There are many who love you and care about what is happening in your life – encourage them by letting them know how you’re doing. If you need prayer for something, they will gladly pray for you; and if you are praising God for victory or answered prayer, they will join you in that praise!

Verse 9 is reporting – which is very much like the above. But this is in greater detail. This is the kind of information you give to someone when you report the details of what you have done. For example, if I have a problem with an addiction to something, then reporting means I’m honest about that time I failed to win my battle over temptation because I went to a place where I knew the temptation would be strong rather than staying away like I knew I should.

Verse 10 talks about suffering because this man was a fellow prisoner with Paul. Many times we just want to hide how we are suffering in our spiritual life because we fear someone will judge us as being weaker than we should be. We need to be honest with each other in how our battle against temptation and evil is going. But the same is true when someone shares such suffering with us in their own life – we must honor the confidence they have given us and not pass this information on as gossip to hurt that person. We should not pass confidential information on to someone else as a “prayer request,” just pray for the need quietly before God.