“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. 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.”
I’ve noticed a lot of friends devoting this month to “30
Days of Thanks”—an exercise directing heart and mind to gratitude, a special
season of thankfulness set apart from the rest of the year. The whole Christian
community does something similar in preparation for Christmas and Easter. For
Advent and Lent, we have special songs, special services, special times of
prayer and traditions within our own families that increase our eagerness to
celebrate the birth and resurrection of Christ—what God has done for his people
through his Son. These things point us to Jesus in ways that are heart and life
altering, exciting.
I often wish that I had the same sort of zeal for seeking
Jesus on a daily basis that I do during these ‘build-ups’ to the holidays. It’s
still early November, but I cannot wait to start advent with my little boy.
It’s a good thing, but I want that eagerness every day. By the grace of God, he
has given his Spirit who works to encourage, comfort and revitalize us. By that
grace alone, we are capable of change—capable of desiring change. I want the
gospel to be woven through the fabric of our family, and not be just the
glitter we toss over our lives around the holidays. I want our day-to-day
routine to remind us of the miracle of salvation—just like seasons of
Thanksgiving, Lent and Advent remind us of God’s faithfulness, goodness and
love in precious and unique ways.
I’m not sure exactly what this looks like yet it’s a new
idea for me. One example would be to talk and pray and ‘get excited’ about each
upcoming Sunday—eagerly anticipating worship with the church of Christ, like a
mini advent every week. We could take time to discuss what a miracle it is to
approach the Creator of the universe and call him, Father; all the while training
our hearts to love and cherish and look forward to the Sabbath. I do know that
weaving our lives through with “holiday living” will include getting into the
word, bowing in prayer and talking about the Savior as Colossians directs: with
the word of Christ, singing and thankfulness, “doing everything in the name of
the Lord Jesus.”
This November we are going to write down one thing we are
thankful for every day and put it in a jar. Weeks will pass, leaves and
blessings pile higher, with the hope that the mindset of thanksgiving will
stretch over into the rest of the year. Practicing reflection on God’s goodness
and trusting the Spirit to work lasting gratitude on our hearts and minds.
