A “pre-Thanksgiving” Devotion

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”  (Col. 3:16 NIV)

     One of my favorite verses that I often quote to our little church body here in Dixie is the admonition to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”. This is a reminder to allow the testimony of what God has done through sending His Son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins, and the promised assurance of what He will do when Christ returns to fulfil His promise of eternal life, to be subjects that we ponder and allow to shape the attitudes of our hearts and minds each day. We need to go no further that the many works of Christ to discover a reason for having true “thankfulness in our hearts” towards God.

      Those who do not live in the “thankfulness” our text declares, (in some translations “gratitude”), are those who do not truly grasp the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is a testimony of the giving of the greatest gift that any man or woman can ever receive. Jesus Christ died for our sins! Without that sacrifice all men are condemned to death and damnation. He has also promised us eternal life, a reward that no earthly recompense can be compared to. To not be overwhelmingly grateful is evidence of the ignorance of these gifts.

     When the religious leaders came to Jesus with questions regarding the particulars of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus responded that their beliefs were in error because they did not understand the scriptures nor the power of God (Mt. 22:29).  They had a “theology” about the kingdom of God, without an understanding of the scriptures that reveal the way into it.  The same can be said of the religious company today who claim Christ as Lord yet live lives that display little gratefulness towards His promises. It can be said that “they just don’t get it”.

       Those promises are the realities that the sincere believer builds his or her life of faith upon and which shape their attitudes daily.  To be aware of those promises and then to allow them to “dwell in you richly”, will always result in deep and sincere gratitude towards God.  When a man jumps in the water, he can expect to get wet. Similarly, the soul who submerges themselves in the promises of God’s goodness and gifts can expect to be filled with the joy and gratitude that comes from a recognition of those gifts.  To claim Christ as Lord and not live in unconcealed gratitude is a paradox that can only be explained by a shallow faith in Christ.  Gratitude is evidence that we truly understand the works of Christ.

       Although this gratitude is a chief evidence and component of the Christian life, it is what it produces that proves to be even more essential. Gratitude produces love! We know that “without love we are only a clanging symbol”. To love God is the greatest of the commandments.   Jesus described this essential love as “agapeo”, meaning a love born in Heaven. It is born in Heaven because the gifts of God that motivate our gratitude, a gratitude that then lead to our love for God, are all heavenly gifts.  James writes “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (Jms. 1:17). Gratitude then serves as that appropriate response that brings the gifts of God and our love for God together. When we are truly grateful for His gifts, love for God is born in our hearts.  In truth, we cannot love God without gratitude.

            Acknowledging the existence of God is only the beginning of faith in God. James writes that even the demons believe in God (Jms. 2;19). They recognize God’s existence without any real appreciation for what He does. They are not “grateful”. When men recognize God and appreciate what He has done for them, a saving faith is born. That appreciation begins to produce the gratitude that God is so worthy of. Gratitude born in man’s heart produces love towards the One to whom they are grateful. Without gratitude there will never be saving faith or sincere love for God. 

      Luke writes that Mary “pondered” the works and promises of God in her heart. This is what our text admonishes when it says “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”.  Let those promises of God found in His Word dwell in you so that they will produce the appropriate “thankfulness” acknowledged in our opening text. 

Are you taking time each day to ponder the many good gifts of God in your life? Are you appreciative of how He washed away your sins by sending His Son to die for you?  Do you contemplate the gift of eternal life He has promised you?  Remember, He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. Are you openly thankful for those gifts, causing those around you to be aware of your gratitude and love towards God?  Gratitude is an element of faith that we must daily “exercise” if we expect our hearts to maintain the love for God that all believers will be judged according to.  As the scriptures admonishes us regarding the wonderful works and promises of God, “Think on these things!”