Day 252, Year 1

Thanking God Sincerely

“Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” (Colossians 2:7 NASB)

Previously mentioned that when believers understand and follow the will of Jesus, our faith and our habit of giving thanks to God can grow stronger. The topic of faith will be discussed in more detail later. If you have been thinking about the topic of giving thanks to God for the past few days but do not feel much, or you feel that you have little to thank God for, it doesn’t matter. There will still be opportunities for you to think about it and improve in the future. Sincerity does matter in thanking God; so, never force yourself to pretend to be grateful. Such pretense will scare the unbelievers away. In the days ahead, there will be many scriptural reflections on sincerity and hypocrisy.

“Rooted in Jesus” in today’s verse means to understand Jesus deeply and to draw nourishment from Him. Throughout this process, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and different spiritual principles while applying them. The word “overflow,” perisseuo in Greek, means “to be over, turn out abundantly for, to have in abundance, abound in (a thing), to exceed, or to make abundant.” When we accept the true Lord’s teachings, our hearts can overflow with gratitude. In other words, how much we give thanks to God depends on how much of God’s teaching we practice. In my opinion, His teaching encompasses at least two aspects: the spiritual principles and truths found in the Bible, and God’s will concerning significant events in our lives.

Believers need to read the Bible seriously and understand the truth of salvation and life within. In fact, there are many books and even courses that can familiarize us with the biblical truth. A proper understanding of the truths of the Bible will enable us to know God and deepen our gratitude toward Him. Conversely, when confronted with a misinterpretation of the Bible, our minds are often confused and unsettled. 

In addition, we need to pray more and often seek help from those who have a deeper understanding of faith to comprehend what God’s will is in important matters. Many people who once believed in Jesus turned away from faith due to various reasons, such as setbacks or unanswered prayers. Contrarily, by feeling God’s will in different matters, it becomes easier for us to offer sincere gratitude and strengthen our faith. Thus, when we encounter various problems in life, we need to actively solve them instead of running away from them. Meanwhile, we should pay attention to things that may seem unrelated to faith, such as our attitudes, our willingness to actively solve problems, and other habits, as these may greatly affect our faith in God.

Reflection questions:

1) Are the teachings you have received correct and increasingly plentiful, leading you to understand deeper the way of Jesus?

2) From the past until now, what have you received in faith that makes you more grateful toward God? If not, what is the problem behind?