NOVEMBER 2025 - DEVOTION
THE ACT OF THANKFULNESS
“Be ye thankful” Colossians 3:15
PAUL’S EPISTLES
In many of Paul's epistles to the church, he included sections encouraging believers to live out and abound in their faith. In Colossians 3, Paul’s suggestions to produce this result included:
Spiritual disciplines:
- Seek things which are above – v1
- Set your affections on things above – v2
- Mortify your members and the sinful desires that reside in them – v5
- Put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge of Christ – v10
- Let the peace of God rule in your hearts – v15
- Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly – v16
- Sing spiritual songs with grace in your heart – v16
Actions toward others:
- Put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth – v8
- Put on mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering – v12
- Put up with one another – v13
- Forgive one another – v13
- Put on love, the bond of perfectness – v14
Paul gave other suggestions as well, all of which are beneficial for walking out the victorious Christian life.
ONE MORE SUGGESTION
Paul also admonished the church to "be ye thankful" (Colossians 3:15). There are few spiritual disciplines that will out produce thankfulness in the Christian life. And it isn’t a challenge to identify blessings that should evoke thankfulness in us. A couple of examples are:
- Material blessings – Food on the table and so much more
- Love – Both from God and others
Of course, the blessing we should be most thankful for is the gift of salvation in Jesus, and all that it affords to those who receive it. In Colossians Chapter 3, Paul told the church their lives are "hid with Christ in God” and when he does, “appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4). The spiritual disciplines and the acts toward others, though both are difficult at times, are worth every effort when we realize our end. And that makes me thankful.
