Rules For Holy Living

Words to live by.

That could be the title for Colossians Chapter 3. NIV uses Rules for Holy Living. I guess that will do just as well. This is a chapter where Paul tells us how to live as Christians, and there are some pretty heavy-hitting thoughts in this one page chapter.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (3:2). Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature . . . (3:5). Do not lie to each other (3:9). Bear with each other and forgive . . . (3:13). And over all these virtues, put on love . . . (3:14)

Then comes verse 15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body your were called to peace. And be thankful.

Be thankful for what?

The simple answer is . . . everything! The Bible says this over and over. In James we are told to consider it pure joy (be thankful) when we face hard times. In the Book of Psalms, David gives thanks to the Lord over and over, in good times and in bad. Jesus thanked God for hearing Him (John 11:41). The list goes on and on.

The message is we are to be thankful at all times.

What does it mean to be thankful?

One definition of thankfulness is feeling or showing gratitude. This brings us to our topic at hand.

Gifts.

Yesterday we learned that Jesus said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Nowhere in there does it say that receiving is not a blessing. Nowhere in there does it say we are not to be thankful when we receive a gift.

Nowhere.

If you can't receive a gift with thankfulness, you can't receive Christ.

In fact, in Mark 10:15 Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 

Have you ever seen a child receive a gift? Their eyes light up, their smile swallows their face, and everything else disappears for that moment in time. That gift, no matter how simple, is received with true thankfulness.

We could learn a lot from a child.

Learn to receive.

Now that we're all grown up (or so we say), we sometimes allow our grown-up emotions to ruin the joy of receiving. We let the false ideas of guilt, obligation, or quid pro quo (literally, "something for something") get in the way. We take the idea that there's no such thing as a free lunch too far.

We've forgotten to be thankful. We've forgotten how to receive. As a child. With thankfulness.

Give thanks.

Going back to Colossians 3, verse 17 says this: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Whatever you do. Whether in word or deed.

Be thankful. Life is a gift. Salvation through Jesus is a gift.

If you can't accept the smallest gift from man, how will you ever truly receive the greatest gift from God?