...Abounding in...Thanksgiving!

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7

This one passage of scripture provides a timeless template for living the Christian life. Methodist or Mennonite... Catholic or Baptist....it makes no difference, for this is for ALL those who have accepted Jesus as Savior.

It’s one thing to make a decision to become a Christian — quite another to live out a Christian life in church, outside the church, in our home and on the job. Some “saints” are “Sunday saints”—on Sunday, they are a saint but, on Monday, “a saint” they ain’t. And then some “saints” are “seasonal saints” - they just show up at Christmas and Easter. In this passage, Paul instructs us on living for God day-to-day as a way of life.

First, Paul instructs us to “WALK” IN CHRIST JESUS THE LORD. Simply put, this means we are to do life in God...in an intentional conscientiousness of the Presence of God in our life. A Christian can’t do that and cuss like a sailor and live like the devil. God’s Presence in our life, makes a day-to-day difference ( 2 Cor 5:17).

Secondly, Paul said that we are to be “rooted” in Him. I am not a Christian because I am a church attender or affiliated with a denomination. I am a Christian because I am “ Rooted” in Jesus and His death on the cross for the payment of my sins. The winds of adversity may blow, the problems and predicaments of life may come—-but, we are unmoved because we are “rooted” in Jesus.

Thirdly, Paul instructs us to be “Established”......where?.....in the faith! Not in fame, fortune, fads or feelings....ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH! We are walking with God....by faith. We are saying YES to God and NO to the world....by faith. We are praying and praising.....by faith. Getting up, going to work, paying bills, loving our family, being faithful to our spouse and our God....by faith. Living by faith is a choice not an emotion.

Fourthly, Paul teaches us to “ABOUND” in Thanksgiving. Abounding in thanks means “thanks-giving” is not an event, it is a lifestyle. To take it a step further— we are to abound in THANKS and in GIVING. Without exception, grateful people are gracious people and they are generous people.

The Lord doesn’t save us and then leave it to us to live the Christian life however we think it should be lived. As God’s people, regardless of what name is our church sign, may the Holy Spirit help us to: WALK, BE ROOTED, BE ESTABLISHED AND ABOUNDING IN Thanksgiving.