Colossians 3:17; Psalm 119:1-8 – Thankfulness
The false teachers in Colossae were attempting to impose all kinds of specific rules and regulations on the believers. Paul, in contrast, gives them a very comprehensive principle by which they are to seek to live their daily lives; ‘whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus’.
When Paul told them to do everything in the name of Jesus, he was not suggesting that they repeat the name of Jesus before they said or did anything! When we do something in the name of Jesus it means that we do it in harmony with His revealed will in the Bible, in subjection to His authority and in dependence upon His power.
It must always be remembered that the Holy Spirit works upon the Word of God, and it is only as the believer seeks to understand the Word and will of God and to put it into practice in His daily life in dependence on the Holy Spirit, that He will truly please God. This will require an ever deeper study of the Scripture and a constant asking the Lord ‘what would you have me do’, Acts 22:10, followed by a conscious and constant reliance upon the work of the Holy Spirit to put it into practice.
Thankfulness should be an ever present reality in the life of a Christian. The more a believer thinks about all that God has done for him in Christ, the less important and troublesome will be the trials of the present life. The greater his appreciation and thankfulness for a full, free and eternal salvation, the greater will be his joyful service for the master who has redeemed him at such a cost.
Questions
- How can you develop a constant attitude of thankfulness in spite of the difficulties of life?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for what God has done for you today.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.