Thankful
- Quin. A
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
“Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
(Colossians 1:11-12)
Many family and friends are mindful of giving thanks this week. Across the country, people will eat, laugh, and be thankful for their loved ones this coming Thursday. Gratitude for food and family will flow from the hearts of many … as it should.
Yet, Colossians 1:11-12 reminds us of a bigger spiritual blessing that believers should bear in mind, not just this holiday season, but at all times. Paul wrote that we are strengthened with all might according to His glorious power. This is something to be thankful for.
Feeling weak– be it physically, mentally, or spiritually– happens to us all. We are feeble humans with limited capacities. The daily hustle of work, caring for children, maintaining a home, nurturing relationships, paying bills and the countless other responsibilities we have can leave us feeling drained.
And when we factor in the constant war of the spirit and flesh, on top of warring against wicked powers and principalities in spiritual warfare, and the various emotions we may feel from the loss of loved ones, broken relationships, and traumatic life events. … it can all be a bit much! But Paul gives us encouragement through his letter to the Colossians. He said that we are strengthened by a supernatural power.
The glorious power of Jesus Christ is something to be thankful for. I’ve had seasons in my life, particularly pregnancy, where each day was hard to get through. I shed many tears and asked God to be my strength. I could’ve asked Him to give me strength, but I didn’t feel as if I had the strength to even carry the strength He would have given. So, I asked Him to just be my strength … and He was.
So, let’s be thankful that in our times of weakness, whether it’s a spiritual temptation, a physical sickness, or a mental battle, we have access to the glorious power of Jesus– a power that created the world and is exalted in our weaknesses. Be thankful for the strength and power of Christ.
Paul also stated that we can have joy in our longsuffering and in our patience, which on the surface, seems impossible. But because our joy should be found in Christ and not our circumstances, we should always have joy. Reader, I have not mastered this.
I struggle with finding absolute joy when my circumstances are not pretty. But I have asked God to give me this gift: Give me delight, joy, and peace in Jesus, regardless of my situation. There are things that I am currently seeking God for in prayer … things that I desperately desire to change.
But if they do not, I want to have joy nonetheless. I don’t want my joy contingent on God answering a prayer. I want my joy contingent on God. And so, I am thankful that I have the opportunity through God the Father and His Son to have this type of joy– an unmovable joy.
Because if God is unmovable, then my joy, peace, and delight should be unmovable as well. I thank God that He offers this, and my prayer for you and myself is that we will fully tap into this joy, both now and forever more, in Jesus name.
Lastly, Paul says he gives thanks to God that He has “qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light”. Only through Jesus can we be qualified to receive God and all His glory. Our sins, faults, mindsets, and bad habits should have banished us from God’s presence … and it did.
But God restored us back to Himself through Jesus. We could have never made it right with God due to our sinful nature. We couldn’t have apologized enough, praised God enough, worked in ministry enough, worshiped enough … nothing could have ever restored our relationship. We were way too deep in unholiness to walk in harmony with such a holy God. We were buried too far beneath our own darkness and filth to ever reach the Father of lights.
But I am thankful for Jesus. I am thankful that even though there was no way for me to be restored, God made a way to restore me. It costed God His Son’s life. It was a gruesome murder for my Lord, but He did it for me. And I’m willing to bet that even though Jesus only had to die once, I bet He would do it again and again if He had to. He loves us just that much.
And so, this week, and every week, let’s be thankful. Be thankful for the glorious strength we have in Christ despite our weaknesses. Be thankful that we have access to unchangeable joy despite our circumstances. And be thankful that we have access to God and the inheritance of the saints despite our sinful nature.
Be thankful!
Reader, may God bless you and keep you is my prayer. Until next time, take care.
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Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Quin Arrington
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