All About Gratitude

Colossians 2:6-7

Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:12-17

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Bee's Thoughts:

Hmmn... is "love" different from all those "virtues"? Otherwise, it shouldn't say "put on Love" after listing those "virtues".

As I searched the web for the answer, I came across the explanation for this passage. What I gathered is you can have these virtues without love, but you can't have love if you don't possess these virtues. Get it? I like it's explanation on "love", it helps me know why very often we have difficulty loving someone completely....

Secondly, in the love described, there was a desire to give to the object of one’s love rather than to possess the object of one’s desire. Therefore, when Jesus dies on the cross, it’s more the point that the Father was giving men and women the fulness of His resources (that is, giving them Himself) rather than He was bringing about the possibility that He might possess a people for His own purpose.

This latter concept is true, of course, but when it comes to the outworking of God’s love, we need to see God’s work as being performed to give Himself away.

We also saw on the web page that a man cannot react properly either in obeying what God wants him to do, in loving God or loving the brethren unless he is first transformed by the love of God in Christ. The work of the cross and its application to the believer is an important cornerstone in the believer’s life from which true love comes.

In Col 3:12,14, we see the source of love coming from the new nature - but it’s equally correct to see and maintain that, unless a man receives God’s love, he won’t be in a position to reflect that love towards his fellow man or woman.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your revelation tonight about love. I pray that I will grow to love You more each day, so that I can reflect Your love that gives, rather than receive. May You do a deeper work in my life.
Tonight, I also like to pray for my buddy that you will heal his headache and help him learn to balance his work life so that he can have time left for what is more meaningful and important in life. Give him a peaceful sleep and rise up feeling fresh in the morning.
I pray that I shall do likewise and refrain from staying in my office till so late. In all I do let me glorify Your name.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.