Can I call myself grateful?

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Gratitude is a tricky thing to define these days. Too often, we link it to the way a child opens a birthday present or the way we appreciate a favor from a friend. In other words, thankfulness is seen to be the appropriate response when we get what we want in life. But when you read the passage above (which references thankfulness three times in v 15, 16, and 17), it seems that gratitude goes hand in hand with a life in which we don't always get what we want. Consider the following list:

• v 12 calls us to be compassionate, kind, meek, humble, and patient
• v 13 calls us to bear with one another and to forgive one another
• v 14 calls us to pursue love in order to create a relational harmony
• v 15 calls us to enjoy our salvation as a reminder of our unity
  

Do these sound like people who were getting everything they wanted? I don't think so. Apparently, thankfulness had a different function: it wasn't for people who had every relational whim satisfied but for people in conflict and disappointment who needed a reminder of what they'd truly received. Now how were they to do this? How were they to stir up a life of gratitude. By focusing on the gospel ("the word of Christ" is the message about who Jesus was and what He did)... it was to dwell in them and create the following activities among them:

• it was to inform their advice and teaching together (v 16)
• it was to shape their worship in singing together (v 16)
• it was to center everything they said and did around Jesus' name (v 17)

So what's the take-home point? From what I'm seeing above, it seems that I'm not simply invited to be thankful when life's going my way. Instead, it seems that thankfulness is an attitude I'm called to cultivate as an overflow of my delight in the gospel. Gratitude (in this sense) guards me from the pitfalls of self-pity and self-righteousness that conflict often leads me towards. What a gift the good news is to us- shaping our thoughts, songs, words, and actions... especially at those times when our friends and family seem most disappointing. So... how are you cultivating gratitude this week?

Transformed by the Resurrection...

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Have you ever found yourself living between the two realities above? "In the world" there are troubles; "In Christ" there is peace. These are two truths we looked at in the passage this past Sunday (John 16:16-33). It's hard to believe that Christ really has overcome the sorrows, anxieties, and opposition we face in this life. It's easy to believe that conflicts with friends, fears about illness or the economy, or resistance to Jesus' Kingdom will somehow win out in the end. Instead, Jesus calls us to remember that we who follow Jesus can by transformed by remembering one thing: Jesus is risen. So this week in community group, let's look for evidence that the Resurrection really does matter in our daily lives.

Pt 1- The gospel transforms sorrowful disciples. (16:20-22) Jesus told his disciples that His departure (the Cross) would cause them to weep and mourn... that the anguish could be compared to a woman in labor. Despite how little they could understand exactly what He meant, Jesus also told them that they could know joy because they would see Him "a little while later." Apparently, the Resurrection would transform the disciples... so here's a question for us: "How does Jesus' resurrection from the dead transform the way you handle sorrow in life?" Be practical- look for verses together that remind you that Jesus' triumph over death can provide you with joy "that no one can take away from you."

Pt 2- The gospel transforms anxious disciples (16:23-27) According to Jesus, the fact that He would come back again would bring about a new day. "In that day" He said, "you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf..." (v 26) Jesus was inviting the disciples into direct access with the Father- all because of the Resurrection. So here's a second question- How does that work out in your life? When you're anxious and want to live out verses like Matthew 6:25 or Phil 4:6, how does Jesus' resurrection build your confidence in prayer? Again, be specific... do any examples of this come to mind?

Pt 3- The gospel transforms fearful disciples (16:28-33) Jesus was very clear that we are not supposed to be surprised by or afraid of the world's opposition (see chapters 14&15). But here, Jesus reminds the disciples by contradicting their pledge to be faithful. Jesus tells them that they will all be scattered... that they will all be faithless... that they will all be fearful when the Cross comes. But the good news is that although the world is scary and full of difficulty, Christ has overcome the world... and that reality is seen in the full picture of the Cross: one in which Christ declares "It is finished." The job He was given was fulfilled. And the Father stamped that verdict with the resurrection of Christ. Third question- In what way are you facing tribulation in the world right now? How does Christ's victory over sin, death, and the world's rebellion give you confidence to live for Him tomorrow?

I hope these questions and discussion helps you to have confidence as you are being transformed into Christ's image from one degree of glory to another. Enjoy meeting together this week!