It’s likely the case that most of the conversations we’ve had about Thanksgiving next week have been about logistics. That’s normal. We’ve got to figure out who’s bringing what.
But what might it mean if we sit down at the table to share the feast before even pondering the concept of giving thanks? Some of us may find next Thursday, if we’re being honest, our thanksgiving muscle has atrophied. When the conversation turns toward, “what is everyone thankful for?” we’re forced to turn to the standards—family, home, freedom… Those are all good things, but the point is that we may have to think about it. In other words, thanksgiving doesn’t poor forth from our mouths like it would if it was the habit of our lives.
How is it that we come to a place where thanksgiving isn’t our default frame of mind? How is it that even on a holiday set aside for the practice, the practice ends up being the last thing we think about?
There could be any number of valid reasons. I’d like to briefly explore just one in this post.
Perhaps, we are distracted from the Lord.
Consider Colossians 2:6-7:
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
“Therefore” prompts us to consider the preceding context. Paul has been lauding the supremacy of Christ’s person and work. All the fullness of God dwells in Him, AND through Him God has reconciled all things to Himself (1:15-21).
The apostle presents this not in the abstract, but reminds the Colossians that Christ’s work has been brought to bear on them: “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him…” (1:21-22). Paul then recaps that his ministry has been to proclaim this Christ to them and to deliver them mature in Christ (1:24-29), and he shares his concern that they would not be led astray from Him (2:1-5).
Therefore… walk in Him.
“Walk in Him” is the main command of 2:6-7. To walk in Him is to abide in close fellowship with Him. “Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith” gives us three ways to walk in Him.
- Be rooted in Him
This language should remind us perhaps of John 15:1-5, where the Lord exhorted the disciples to abide in Him, using the imagery of branches abiding in a vine. We are to be rooted in Him, connected to Him for vital spiritual sustenance. What does that mean practically? We cling to Him in fellowship. The three avenues by which we enjoy fellowship with Him are feeding on the Word, communicating with Him in prayer, and mutual service with other believers. We walk in Christ by being sustained through fellowship with Him.
- Be built up in Him
“Built up” refers to spiritual growth or sanctification. The NT often uses the metaphor of a building or house to describe the church. Buildings don’t grow; they are built. Sometimes this word is translated “edified.” Paul is exhorting the Colossians to walk in Christ by intentionally fighting sin and cultivating holiness (2 Tim 2:22; 1 Thess 4:1). We walk in Christ by becoming like Him.
- Be established in the faith.
Here, “the faith” refers to the content of the gospel. To be established in the faith is to be firmly committed not only to the truthfulness of the gospel, but to living in light of the gospel. A key to doing this is regular reflection on the gospel itself. The NT authors regularly instruct their readers in “the faith” even though they know those readers to be believers. If you and I would be established in the faith, we must receive a steady diet of the good news, including gospel meditation in our personal devotional time. We should also intentionally think through how aspects of the gospel shed light on the circumstances of our lives. We walk in Christ by keeping our eyes and minds on the gospel.
Now, what does all this have to do with thanksgiving?
The last phrase of Col 2:6-7 indicates that a result of our walking in Christ (by being rooted in Him, built up in Him, and established in the faith) is that we will abound in thanksgiving.
This makes perfect sense when we reason through it. Those regularly connected to Christ in fellowship, receiving daily spiritual sustenance, will have a plethora of reasons and occasions for giving thanks. Those growing in Christlikeness, experiencing His power as they slowly overcome sin and cultivate godliness, will likewise naturally turn to Him in gratitude for that growth. Those whose minds are saturated in a gospel that has been fully brought to bear on their own lives will consistently view reality from an eternal perspective…and give thanks.
So if we suffer from a deficiency of thanksgiving, we can follow Paul’s flow of thought backwards to find a diagnosis. Perhaps, we are not walking in Him in all the ways mentioned in Col 2:6-7. That is, perhaps we are profoundly distracted from the Lord. Read the surrounding verses. You’ll find that great spiritual danger is signaled by such a lack of thanksgiving. The answer is not to engage in mechanical expressions of thanksgiving, but to walk in Christ.
As we prepare for the festivities next week, let’s do so with an eye on our hearts. Let’s walk in Him and as a result abound in thanksgiving.
Comments