Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:6-10 ESV).
November brings with it the celebration of a season devoted to gratitude. My hope is to spend as much time writing about being thankful during the coming weeks. I am fully aware that this may not be a very popular topic at this time in our history. It seems we are more divided and antagonistic towards others than ever before. Our economy continues to teeter on the brink of recession. Crime and violence are increasing at an alarming rate. Health issues still seem to affect so many people. Families are divided and torn in more directions than I have seen in my experience. So, what is there to really be thankful about?
Our reading today is from the letter written by the Apostle Paul to a church that faced many difficulties. He encourages them to be thankful as they face these incredible difficulties. This is a theme commonly found in the Scripture. In today’s verses we discover that an attitude of thanks is deeply rooted in our encounter and friendship with God, in the person of Jesus Christ. Note that it doesn’t depend on external things or our life’s circumstances. Rather, it’s connected to our knowledge of and faith in God. To put it simply, the better we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the more thankful we are. Our daily walk with him helps us experience the true abundance of godly thankfulness.
This month I invite you to reflect with me on thanksgiving and gratitude. The Bible is filled with passages on this subject, and in the next few weeks we are going to explore many of them. Let us be prayerful and patient as we dig into God’s Word for new and exciting insights. Today, find that one thing, even though it may appear to be insignificant and small, think of that thing with gratitude. For me it will be thoughts of family. Just reciting their names brings so many wonderful memories to my mind. I am thankful for each of them more than words can describe. Start turning your mind and heart toward gratitude. It will make a difference.