Filled with thanksgiving
Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him. Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving. (verses 6, 7)
The woman on the TV show told the therapist that her problem was that she was never satisfied with what she had. She was envious of other people, feeling they had it better than she did. The therapist told her what he wanted her to do: each day for the next five days she had to write down a hundred things she was thankful for – and she wasn’t allowed to repeat anything from a previous day.
The New Testament writers often remind us to be thankful. We need this reminder because we forget how much we have to be thankful for. Instead of being thankful we complain and are envious of others.
You have Christ Jesus as your Lord, and this gives you special reason to be thankful. Your close relationship with Jesus brings you wonderful blessings: forgiveness, freedom, peace, hope and new life. As you nurture your relationship with Jesus, your life will become even richer and more fulfilling, and you will have more reason for thanksgiving.
Keep building your life on Jesus, and keep being filled with thanksgiving.
Lord Jesus, help me to keep my relationship with you strong and healthy, and keep me filled with thanksgiving. Amen.
by John Pfitzner, in ‘Assurances for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2004)
Visit the Daily Devotion archives page.
