“As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ”

Colossians 1:7

Our minds were designed to take in and store information. Babies begin to learn before they are born, and learning continues throughout our entire lives. We learn from experience (hot things burn), by example (this is how you fold socks), by reading (think history or science books), and in a variety of other ways. One subtle way we learn is by watching those around us (this is how a real man or woman acts).

I usually think of myself as learning from others. I see people who are a few steps ahead of me in life and try to learn from their experiences. I see people reaping the challenges of poor choices and wonder how they got to where they are. I tend to forget that learning from others goes both ways. Not only am I learning from those around me, but others are also learning from me!

Regardless of your age, people are learning from you. Believers and unbelievers, alike, are watching how you respond to the challenges in your life. Those younger than you are looking to you as an example for their own lives. Even those older than you can learn from your life.

In today’s verse, Paul makes it clear that the Colossians learned the gospel from Epaphras. It seems that Epaphras may have started the church in Colosse, establishing a foundation for the Gospel in that area. In a very real way, the Colossian church learned from Epaphras as he taught them week by week. In a more subtle way, the Colossian believers learned about Christian life as they observed how Epaphras lived his life.

What are people learning from you? Are you a role model of a Christian young person for your friends and family members? Can you honestly say, with Paul, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1)?

-Bethany V