By David ReayWednesday 9 Apr 2014LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Colossians 2:6-7
Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,so go on living in him-in simple faith. Grow out of him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in,becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it,and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness. (JBP)
On one level,living the Christian life is very complex and challenging. On another level,it is all rather simple. For example,daily discipleship can be summed up in two words: ‘trust’ and ‘thankfulness’. We believe Jesus is supreme authority,that he holds the world in his hands. This belief shapes our life. It guards against worries and obsessions that reflect a very different belief: that life is out of control and we are at the mercy of circumstances.
And this trust leads to thankfulness. Believing God is who he says he is and that he has done what he says he has done leads to gratitude. Trust puts us in touch with a wonderful truth that causes thankfulness. We trust God is good and thank him for it. This guards us against complaints and cynicism.
It is good to develop a pattern of trust. The more we exercise the trust the more thankful we become. The more thankful we become the deeper our trust grows. Much better than the opposite pattern: anxiety and despondency leads to grumbling and defeatism.
Trust that Jesus is as good and wise and powerful as he says he is. Thank him that it is true. So very simple and yet so very challenging to do day-by-day. ‘Trust’ and ‘thanks’ are easy to say but practising them takes a lifetime.
Blessings
David Reay