Colossians 4:7-9, 18 (ESV)

[7] Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. [8] I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, [9] and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

[18] I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Paul closed his letter to the Colossian believers with numerous greetings. What is impressive is how much he cares for those to whom he is writing. He wants them to be encouraged. He wants them to accept one another. He wants them to be motivated to continue in ministry. Here is Paul, sitting in prison, and his primary concern is for others. The one statement he makes about himself is simply, “Remember my chains” (Col 4:18). That’s it! No going on about how miserable it is, or how bad the food is, or how mean the guards are. Just “Remember my chains.”

What if we were less concerned about letting everyone know what terrible conditions we face, and were more concerned about others? How might that change our conversations? How might that change our prayer life? How might that change our relationships? Someone shares about an illness, disease, or difficulty. Our natural response is to share our story, and often it tops theirs. Or we share the secret solution to their problem that worked for someone that knows someone we know. Why do we find it so difficult to truly listen, love, and care for those who are hurting?

Jesus said to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). This does not come naturally. We want others to weep with us, but we don’t weep well with them. We want others to rejoice well with us, but we don’t rejoice well with them. The truth of the matter is, it is called selfishness. Unlike Jesus, and unlike the Apostle Paul, we are too often more concerned about us than about others. May God forgive us, and may he grow in us the heart of Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb 12:2). He did that on our behalf. May we learn to embrace the joy and pain of others in order to love them as Jesus loves. May we be willing to endure the cross for the sake of those around us, and may we do so without feeling the need to bring it to their attention.