“Grow in faith . . let your life overflow with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7 NLT
“Thankfulness overflows from anticipation of the good God is yet to do.”
My thoughts today are about “thriving and thankful.”
In the wear and tear of everyday life, there are a lot of things that can challenge one’s faith. It is not your faith in God as that relates to salvation; that is usually pretty solid for most. The struggle is more often in the arena of trusting God for daily needs, and being confident of His specific help in the times and things when you feel at the mercy of circumstances beyond your control.
Logically, we could reason that a God, who can and would save us from our sins, could certainly handle our distresses. Somehow, pain throws logic out the window for most of us much of the time. It is sometimes hard to hold fast to your faith about wondrous possibilities when struggling with some pretty harsh realities that squeeze into your life experience. The Apostle Paul’s experience encourages you that God will provide sufficient grace and strength to be strong in faith. Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NIV.
Life does not always fit neatly into your profession of faith at those moments when life is scary and its more immediate outcome seems uncertain. If life were easy, I guess that you might think you could do it without God, and would probably try to do so on your own terms. At such times, you can learn to be “strengthened in faith . . overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7 NIV.
Often you might think of thanksgiving as a response to something good that has already happened. Might I suggest that the sign of a growing faith is the ability to “overflow with thanksgiving” out of your strong faith’s anticipation of the good that God is yet to do? Abraham looked at the total impossibility of God’s promise, yet “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” Read Romans 4:16-21 NIV. Overflowing with thankfulness, he was strengthened in faith as he anticipated that God would do what was consistent with His character and faithfulness.
My friend, Kenny, often said, “If you will keep the faith, the day will come when your faith will keep you when the days are difficult!” I have found that to be true. When you can’t find faith for the circumstance of the moment, plant your faith in the unchanging character and promises of God that await you. Though Paul faced the certainty of his death, he confidently wrote these words from prison, “I have fought a good fight . . I have kept the faith. Now I know there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.” Read 2 Timothy 4:6-8 NIV.
“And now just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to Him. Let your roots grow down deep into Him and draw nourishment from Him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done.” Colossians 2:6-7 NLT.
My prayer for you today is that your life overflows in thankfulness to God everyday.