Thankfulness

Today, we return to Paul’s letter to the Jesus followers in Colosse. He continues to contrast the truth of Jesus in Colossians 2:8-15 (His humanity, authority, forgiveness and victory) with the false teachings in Colossians 2:16-23 (legalism, mysticism and asceticism) that were getting connected to Jesus in Colosse. I appreciate the simple picture of following Jesus that Paul offers as a preface to that complex discussion.

Colossians 2

6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Thankfulness. As a former teacher, I appreciate simple tools that gauge progress. According to Paul, thankfulness is the product of consistently building your life on the principles that Jesus taught ... of being a Jesus follower. If you want to gauge the progress of your journey, take inventory of how grateful you are. If necessary, ask an honest friend to rate your level gratitude.