I was reading Colossians and I noticed how often Paul encouraged the folks in that church to be thankful. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I needed to be reminded.
I keep a gratitude list in the back of my journal and I read it often, especially when the situations around me are things I am not thankful for! I know you know what I am talking about—a global pandemic, folks we know are losing loved ones, we feel fragile ourselves at times, racial unrest, skyrocketing inflation, and the beat goes on—only we’re the ones who are beat!
The actual theme of this epistle, this letter that Paul wrote to the church in Collossae is “The Supremacy of the Son of God,” to clear up any doubts about the diety of Jesus.
But Paul writes in chapter 1 about how proud he is of the church that was started by a convert of his named Epaphras. Paul called him “our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf.” Epaphras told Paul and Timothy about the people in the church and their love for the Lord.
Paul then writes to them in Colossians 1:9, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, (Wait for it…)
12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Paul is telling the Colossians and us that we can live in gratitude for the free gift of grace. There may not seem to be anything in your life today to feel grateful for (but there always is, just sayin’) but we can always be grateful for God’s incredible gift of grace. While we were yet sinners, Romans says, Christ died for us. When we couldn’t care less about Christ, he gave His best for us, His very life. And if He never did anything else for us, his death on the cross, the price he paid for your sins and mine, so that we can be with Him in heaven is something we can thank Him for this holiday season.
We are not only grateful to the Lord for saving our souls but also for guiding our lives!