16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:16 – 17)

Let’s go to the end of the passage we have been studying from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In these verses, he is talking about filling our hearts with love for one another, with the word of Christ, and with gratitude.  We live into the Kingdom of God by living in gratitude for God’s love for us. This is the essence of life, and of eternal life.

When we have recognized that we truly are God’s beloved, we respond with love, and with gratitude. When we realize that God also loves, and chooses, others, we do not respond like jealous children, who say, “Momma and Daddy love you the best”, but we respond with love for those whom God loves, and gratitude for that love. Jealousy comes from the child’s assumption that their parents’ love is a limited commodity, and scarce. What is given to the sibling must be taken from them. But God’s love is unlimited, and unqualified. His love for others only magnifies his love for you, and me.

Some people will disagree with me on that – they will say that God’s love is only for people who believe a certain way, say certain words, or live by their rules. That is not how I read the Scripture – in the pages of the New Testament, I find that God sent his Son to save us all, “For God so loved the world, he sent his only Son”. Jesus came to save all humankind, and during his time on earth he was much more likely to be seen with the sinners and tax-collectors than with the religious rule makers and rule followers of his day.

As recipients of such unsurpassed, unlimited, amazing love – we should be living in daily gratitude! Jesus came to us, to show us God’s love for us! That is why we sing hymns! That is why we come together in worship! That is why we love him, and share that love with our neighbor! That is why, whatever we do, we should be able to do it in Jesus’ name, and we should do it with hearts filled with gratitude!

Questions for reflection:

1. What does it look like in your life to show your thankfulness to God and to Christ?
2. What is the difference between living in gratitude for God’s love and following the rules because you are supposed to?