Thankfulness: Getting It Through Your Thick Skull

In God’s word, one verse is all you need to hear an authoritative word. If God spoke it, it is true and God doesn’t need to repeat Himself. But, the more you read God’s word, the more you appreciate that God is gracious and compassionate, willing to condescend to those of us who are slow, oblivious, misdirected, stubborn, and, well…like you and me. And so, God is pleased to make His word forcefully repetitive. Not unnecessarily so, but vitally so. We need to hear the same kinds of truths over and over again, in different ways and different contexts, applied and lived out and even disobeyed on the pages of scripture.

There are some passages where this happens in a concentrated form. In those places, it is clear that God is serious about getting something across that is very important. Thankfulness is one of those things, and one passage in Colossians works like a ramrod to get this virtue seated in our hearts.

Look at these three verses. They are one right after another. Each hits on something slightly different, but each concludes with this call to be thankful.

Colossians 3:15–17

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Isn’t that amazing? This is authoritative repetition. God didn’t have to do that. But in grace, He has put it before us over and over so that we get it. Thankfulness is a big deal.

Thankfulness is such a big deal it should permeate our lives; even in the hardest of places and most difficult situations. Following each verse, we find that we should be thankful concerning our local church (vs. 15), amidst all our dealings with our church family (vs. 16), and in whatever task we put our hand to (vs.17). Now, in every one of those verses there is much that is unpleasant. Many of our churches have problems and there is much that would cause us to grumble. But we are to be thankful. Many of our relationships are with people who need admonishing and that is never easy. But we are to be thankful. Many of our tasks are monotonous, grueling, thankless, and frustrating. But we are to be thankful.

Isn’t it kind of God? In the midst of a life that has repeated heartache and difficulty, He counters that with repetitious calls to thankfulness. God’s word compels us to figure out how we are going to be thankful in all these situations. I will leave the specifics to you. But, let me encourage you. It is not difficult. In fact, if you just read the same chapter of Colossians, or better, the whole book, you will find a treasure trove of glory that will fill your heart. Be thankful, my friend. Be thankful. Be thankful.