“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”—Colossians 3:15 (NKJV)
I had the best quiet time this morning. Believe it or not, it began
when I read a Facebook post from a woman preparing to celebrate her
fifty-first wedding anniversary. Her post was full of thankfulness and
praise for her husband, their family, and their life together.
I was moved to read more of her posts on her Facebook page. I know what you’re thinking: What a stalker! Well, maybe so. But let me tell you what I know about this lady.
First, whenever she sees me, without fail, she asks about my little
girl with special needs. And she never lets me exit the conversation
without praying for me.
Second, this woman and her husband have spent their lives serving
others. In the first half of their lives, they cared for many children
who were in the foster care system. In the second half of their lives,
when their kids were grown, they became missionaries who served and
trained church planters.
Third, this woman is a cancer survivor. Yet, she never complains. And when I tell you she never complains, believe it. She only has words of thanks and praise on her lips. That’s why people are drawn to her and love to have her around.
In today’s Bible verse, the encouragement to live peacefully and
thankfully was written by an imprisoned pastor. The Book of Colossians
is known as one of the apostle Paul’s “prison letters.”
Paul was a religious zealot before he met Christ and a servant of God
after meeting Christ. Through all his experiences, he learned that
living thankfully puts things in perspective. Complaining, envying, and
constantly competing with your brothers and sisters causes distraction,
confusion, and anxiety. And none of those things produce peace.
On the other hand, living thankfully brings clarity. It unclogs the
obstructions in the conduit that connects you, the created, to the
Creator. It quiets the constant ambient noise that keeps you, the
called, from hearing the Caller.
Thankful living is the result of living connected to Christ. When you
live this way, people who observe your life know you live this way
because you worship Jesus. Churched or unchurched, they’re intrigued.
Your life becomes a tool of evangelism.
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