And Again He Reminds Me

How many times, in how many weeks, do I need to be reminded to give thanks, to be thankful? How often does the Father have to repeat Himself before I adopt the pattern of living which He prescribes? He hit me with another gentle reminder today. It's funny how those gentle reminders don't always feel gentle at first, but it's really the clarity of what He says that is shocking, not the reminder itself.

Colossians 3:15 - 17, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 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. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Let ... permit ... allow, not something I have to actively pursue, just something I need to permit. We ask for peace, at least I do, and fail to see that it's available ... all I have to do to have the peace of Christ rule in my heart is to permit it, let it happen. As a matter of fact, not only is peace available to me, I'm called to it. Makes one wonder why I strive so hard for it.

Then the reminder for me ... "and be thankful". Not feel grateful but "be" thankful. I love the verbs God uses in conveying His truths. He knew how attuned to feelings we, His children, are. So He reminds me, it's not about how you feel, it's about what you do ... "be thankful". Some more permitting prescribed in the next verse and then He wraps it up in verse 17 by saying, whatever you do, whether its something you're saying or your actions, give thanks to God.

It's easy for me to thank God when I get what I was hoping for. Easy to give thanks when things go my way. When things don't seem to be progressing along the timeline I had imagined, or in the manner I had hoped for, prayed for, then thanksgiving comes less naturally for me. The writer doesn't suggest we give thanks, doesn't say give thanks when you feel thankful, doesn't even say give thanks for the good things in your life ... rather he says, Whatever you do, give thanks. Be thankful.