And be thankful.
Summary: When Paul tells us to be thankful, it is easy to misunderstand his message. While there are many reasons to thank God in our daily lives, Paul’s list of eight reasons to be thankful helps us focus on what is really important.
In addition to all the things Paul has listed, clothing ourselves with virtues and letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, he adds this: “And be thankful.”
Thankful for what?
Looking back over the past few verses, Paul drops several clues that speak to this question.
Going back to the beginning of chapter three, we find the first one — “you have been raised with Christ.” (Verse 1)
Being “raised with Christ” is a Big Deal. This is the key to eternal life. Without new life in Christ, we are left without hope.
Which brings us to the second clue: “For you died … “ (Verse 3)
The “you” in this case is our old self, our sinful nature. This is more complicated to understand because our sinful nature doesn’t die quickly. It lingers, constantly trying to claw us back into obedience to sin. Regardless, we can be thankful its grip on us has been broken.
The third clue is that our lives are now “hidden with Christ in God.” (Verse 3)
What I hear in these words is comfort and security. Nothing can harm someone “hidden with Christ in God.” (It is helpful to remember that our flesh is only a “tent” [2 Corinthians 5:1, 4; 2 Peter 1:13].)
Fourth, God promises that since we are hidden in Christ, we will “appear with him in glory.” (Verse 4)
The image of appearing in glory is something hard for us to imagine, but Jesus gives us a peek into the world of glory when he is transfigured on the mountaintop (Matthew 17:1-3).
The fifth clue is the fact that we have “put on the new self” (Verse 10). We might not fully understand what this means but we experience it each time we rediscover our freedom from sin (the old self).
Finally, the last three clues are the Lord’s forgiveness (verse 13), God’s love (1 John 4:8), and Christ’s rule in our hearts (Verse 15).
Eight clues to answer the question, “Thankful for what?”
Looking over the list, it is easy to see why the Bible reminds us to be thankful; we have a lot to be thankful for!
These are not things you can buy with money. All of the items on Paul’s list only have value if we acknowledge Jesus as Lord. When that happens, suddenly we have a million reasons to be thankful.
Application: Clothe yourself in thankfulness.
Food for Thought: What does it say about us if we are not thankful?
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