Who are you representing

Thanks in all things

Thankful - is an action; An expression showed based on an action or something that has been done; pleased and relieved.

Grateful - feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful.

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Colosse even though he had never been there. It was written around the time when Paul was in prison. He mentions how he “heard” about their faith and their struggle. Paul knew that the church had been infiltrated with false teachers. In the first half of the letter, He want to set things right by writing about who Christ was and what He had done. In the second half of Colossians, he is teaching us what we should do.

Thanks in all things.

We just bought a new cat toy. One of the parts didnt fit and I let out a sigh. I just wanted it to be right. I fix things and sometimes, I get tired of fixing things.

We often seem to sink into the abyss when adverse things happen. We begin to lose sight of the attitude of gratitude when we are in the thick of the mess and stuff and things and the stuff. We have our attitude of gratitude tied to the world and what it represents.

Colossians 3:12–17 NLT

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

12. This should make us be thankful enough, but we are given a strategy

13. We cant look past other peoples issues. Let God worry about other peoples stuff.

14. Not clothed in Love, not in harmony, we gotta learn to wrap it all in Love.

15. We cant just cut folks off because they are different. You cant achieve peace by not speaking to each other.

16. Praise and worship

17. Who you representing. Thanks Thru Jesus. I think we get stuck there.

New strategy

We havent yet endured as much as Jesus did. We have not yet died on the cross, nor have we defeated death from it. But we serve a God that would send His Son to die on the cross, We serve a Messiah that would defeat death.

Paul gives us this strategy in how to live our new life under Christ’s rule. With thankful hearts that are tied to Jesus, not to the world. We have to lean on and live thru Christ to have an attitude of gratitude. We have to think about and pray on who we represent.