Overflowing Thankfulness
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
In Colossians 3:17, the apostle Paul exhorts us to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Gratitude is not just a feeling but a posture of the heart. When we choose to live with a spirit of thankfulness, we align our hearts with God's will and experience His peace and joy in abundance. Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have been given, from complaining to praising, from self-centeredness to God-centeredness.
Reflection
"Overflowing Thankfulness" is a short reflection to carry into your day. It speaks directly to the theme of gratitude, and to the ordinary faith we live out day by day. Gratitude re-trains the eyes. It does not deny hardship, but it refuses to let hardship be the only thing we see. A thankful heart notices the ordinary mercies — breath, bread, people, this very day — that we so easily take for granted. Before you ask God for anything today, name three specific things you are thankful for. Gratitude practised on purpose slowly changes the temperature of the whole heart. Start that practice now, out loud if you can. Read Colossians 3:17 again slowly, and let it shape how you live today — in your family, your work, and your church community. A prayer: Father, thank you for gifts I usually overlook. Give me eyes to see your goodness in the ordinary, and a heart quick to say thank you. Amen.