In The Margins

Colossians 1:1-8

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:

2 To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God’s grace. 7 You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has told us about your love in the Spirit.

My family loves traditions. Movie night, Taco Tuesday, Sunday Lunch with the grandparents, presents on Christmas Eve; we have traditions for everything. Growing up, one of my favorite traditions was every Thanksgiving we would write letters to someone that we were thankful for and then read the letter to them. I know to some this might seem like a nightmare, but my family really got into it. We would think about it all year and around October we would start talking about who we were going to write our letter to. My favorite part of this tradition was reading the letter out loud to the person. It always felt intentional and authentic to let someone know what they meant to you that specific year. This tradition teaches me the importance of gratitude and thankfulness along with the power of encouragement and affirmation in regards to relationship with others. 

Paul starts this letter to the Colossians with much the same voice and tone of affirmation and encouragement. He is thankful for the church at Colossae. 

And why is he thankful?

Because of their faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul quickly does in all of his letters he makes much of Jesus. But their faith is not an average faith; it is a faith of “bearing fruit and growth.” And this growth has happened because of their understanding of the gospel. They take the gospel message seriously and it has moved them toward growth and productivity in the name of Jesus. 

Paul uses this moment of thankfulness to encourage and affirm the church in Colossae for their faith in Jesus Christ. Simply put, Paul shows us that Christian thankfulness is rooted in Christ. Gratitude is a conscious choice to notice the good around us. Gratitude pushes back against covetousness, selfishness, and entitlement. Ultimately, gratitude acknowledges all that the Lord has done for us despite the brokenness of the world.

-What simple habits or practices could you build into your daily routine to help you notice and express gratitude more often?

-When you look back over the past few weeks, what specific ways has God been at work in your life that you might have overlooked—and how can you thank Him for them?

-Think about both the hardest and easiest seasons of your life—what shaped your ability (or inability) to give thanks during those times?

-In what ways does your trust in God influence your capacity to be thankful, even when life is uncertain or difficult?

For further reading and study: Philippians 4:4-20