Overflowing with Thankfulness

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Have you ever been really into and hyped about something and then one day you realize you aren’t even remotely interested? This can happen with the purchase of a new car or home, the start of a new job, the early days of a courtship, or even with us living out our faith—you know . . . those times when you aren’t the least bit interested in Bible reading, prayer, or church attendance and you’d rather not “turn the other cheek,” “love thy neighbor,” or offer a cold glass of water “in Jesus’ name.”—yeah, those times.

We are not the first group of people to have our passion for certain things threatened!

The believers at Colossae became the target of heretical attacks, meaning false teachers were flooding them with claims that Christ was not all that Epaphras and Paul were professing Him to be. These teachings held that “more” was needed: religious festivals, the worship of angels, secret knowledge, as well as reliance on human knowledge and traditions. Yielding to these false teachings could strip these new believers of their passion produced by the grace, peace, and love they had found in faith alone in Christ alone.

With this in mind, Paul boldly refuted these false teachings by saturating this letter to the Colossians with the truth of who Christ is: the very image of God, the Creator, the head of the church, the first to be resurrected, the fullness of deity in bodily form, and the one who reconciles all things to God.

He says,

“ . . . just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6)

In other words, now that you know THIS about Him, LIVE as if you know this! THIS is the truth! All else is false! Those false teachings will leave you forever yearning for more, while the truth of who Christ is will leave you satisfied and “overflowing with thankfulness.”

Albert Barnes once said, “if there is any thing for which we ought to be thankful, it is for the knowledge of the great truths respecting our Lord and Savior.” It is so refreshing to know that when the pressures of this world threaten passions, we can stay rooted, built up, and strengthened with the thankfulness produced as we reflect on the truth that Christ really is all we need!

The next time you wake up feeling passion-less . . . check your “thankfulness tank.” Is it on empty? If so, do what the Colossians did. Quiet those heretical thoughts that imply Christ is not enough, trying to convince you that you need “more” to feel blessed and thankful—a nicer car, bigger house, better job, new boo, a not so “square” way of life —quiet all of those false teachings with the truth found in the Word of God.

And once you reflect on the truth, live it. Get rooted in it. . . built up in it. . . strengthened by it . . . and soon you’ll be “overflowing with thankfulness” for it!

 

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