And be thankful.

¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ^{16 16}Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

Colossians 3:15-16

Today I was thinking about being thankful. I was reading the warm-fuzzies I got at Kairos, and I was thinking how thankful I am for the encouragement I get from youth and adults in my ministry. You'd be surprised how often you have no idea if anything you're doing is making a difference! I picked this passage because it relates to what I've been talking about this week - teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. I also though it was appropriate for Sunday, as it talked about singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God with grattitude in your heart.

I really love the artfulness of these verses as well. They paint a vivid picture with words. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." I imagine peace ruling me like a sovereign. A kind monarch that has my best interests at heart and is always serene, wise and free with his guidance.

"to which indeed you were called in the one body." Like a siren call, peace calls to us to become one in Christ. Like a body at rest in physics, we rotate around Christ until we come to rest peacfully in Him as one body.

"And be thankful." This to me is the centerpiece around which these verses rotate. Be thankful. For everything around you - the air, the sky, the grass, the birds, your house, your fellow Christians, the list goes on and on... Be thankful.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Don't just let the word dwell in you, but let it do so richly. Like the deliciousness of rich chocolate, let it make your whole self better. And those around you will taste that richness through your words and deeds.

"teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;" In both teaching and correcting our fellow Christians, we should do so with wisdom. We should think before we speak and seek to build each other up always.

"with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God." Don't just sing songs in church, or where ever, but sing them with gusto! Sing them at the top of your lungs! Revel in the sounds of otehrs singing around you. Enjoy not only your own singing, but the chorus of those around you, and do it with a joyous, grateful heart.

For those of you preparing to leave for National Youth Gathering, I pray that you will have thankful hearts for the experience you are about to have, and that you will sing praise to God with gratefulness, and that you will be lights shining in the world for all those you serve this week.

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