A Thankful Heart
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2
READ Colossians 4:2–6
Seneca, the great philosopher of ancient Rome (4 bc–ad
65), was once accused by the empress Messalina of adultery. After the
Senate sentenced Seneca to death, the emperor Claudius instead exiled
him to Corsica, perhaps because he suspected the charge was false. This
reprieve may have shaped Seneca’s view of thankfulness when he wrote:
“homicides, tyrants, thieves, adulterers, robbers, sacrilegious men, and
traitors there always will be, but worse than all these is the crime of
ingratitude.”
A contemporary of Seneca’s, the apostle Paul, may have agreed. In Romans 1:21,
he wrote that one of the triggers for the downward collapse of
humankind was that they refused to give thanks to God. Writing to the
church at Colossae, three times Paul challenged his fellow believers in
Christ to gratitude. He said we should be “overflowing with
thankfulness” (Colossians 2:7
). As we let God’s peace “rule in [our] hearts,” we’re to respond
with thankfulness (3:15). In fact, gratitude ought to characterize our
prayers (4:2).
God’s great kindnesses to us remind us of one of life’s great
realities. He not only deserves our love and worship, He also deserves
our thankful hearts. Everything that’s good in life comes from Him (James 1:17).
With all we’ve been given in Christ, gratitude should be as natural
as breathing. May we respond to God’s gracious gifts by expressing our
gratitude to Him.
By Bill Crowder |
What
are some of the biggest, most enduring blessings you’ve received in
life? What everyday blessings have you experienced that are often easy
to forget?
Loving Father, forgive me for the times I’ve taken You and Your
blessings for granted. Create in me a thankful heart, so I’ll honor and
praise You for all You’ve done and are doing. | | | | |
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Colossians 4:2–6, Paul draws our attention to his commitment
to the Great Commission. Before we tell others about Jesus, Paul
instructs us to spend time talking with God about those who don’t yet
believe in Him. The Greek word translated “devote” (v.2) means “to give
attention to; to spend much time together.” Effective evangelism begins
with praying for opportunities to share our faith in Jesus, asking for
courage to talk about Him and for clarity of our message (vv. 3–4).
We're to “make the most of every opportunity” when it comes to sharing
the good news (v.5). Paul advocates living a life that draws others to
Christ (v.6). Jesus spoke of letting our “light shine before others,
that they may see [our] good deeds” (Matthew
5:15–16). Peter tells us to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks . . . the reason for the hope that [we] have” (1 Peter 3:15).
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