Is Your Cup Running Over?

In our Bible passage this past Sunday, you will recall, that the Apostle Paul urged the Colossians believers to be “strengthened in the faith” and “overflowing with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7). Paul used the metaphor of an overflowing fountain to describe a grateful heart in the life of a growing Christian.

When I go to a park, I have always found an overflowing fountain to be pleasing to the eyes and the sound of the running water to be pleasing to the ears. There is something about it that is relaxing. Even so, a Christian who is filled with Jesus and overflowing in thanksgiving and positive living is refreshing and inviting to others. Indeed, when you are full of Jesus, you find He gives more than you can ever contain, and you cannot help but overflow to others. This is grace flowing with joyful thanksgiving and pouring blessing into the lives of those around you.

Paul is saying that a healthy and growing Christian should be overflowing with thanksgiving. So we have to ask ourselves, at this point, how are we doing with our outpouring of thanksgiving? Do we have a thankful spirit and contagious disposition? Are we humbly grateful, or grumbly and hateful? Paul said in another passage that we should “Give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

I would like to think that this simple devotional thought today would serve to remind each of us to do a checkup from the neck up! Let us take the opportunity today to do an inventory of ourselves to see if we indeed live with an attitude of gratitude. Are we overflowing in our praise and thanksgiving to our gracious Lord? The psalmist declared, “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6). So let’s begin to—

Count our blessings
Collect memories of His mercies
Catalog His kindnesses to us

Let’s do this—and start today!

Gratefully yours,
Pastor Ron