10/02/2024
The Preeminence Of Christ
A Study Of Colossians
"A Prayer Of Thanksgiving"
Colossians 1:3-8
As a preacher, one of the most encouraging moments I experience is for someone to pray for me. Praying for my work as I labor with the congregation, praying that my lesson will be effective, prayer’s for my family. To be thought of in prayer in such a way is always so encouraging and appreciated.
I am no exception though, all of us benefit from prayers of encouragement and thanksgiving. Every Christian’s spirit is elevated by words and prayers of encouragement. Have you ever been told by a fellow Christian how proud they are of you? How they have witnessed your growth in Christ. These moments are to be treasured, for we should remember them not just when we are standing on the peaks of faith, but also when we experience the valley’s that surely come. They remind us our race is surely worth it all.
One of the wonderful things the apostle Paul did in his letters, even if he had weightier matters to write about, was to begin his letters by showing his heart and love for his fellow Christians, he would show his appreciation and thanksgiving for their faith and growth in Christ Jesus. Colossians 1:3 is no expectation.
“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,” (Colossians 1:3;NKJV)
There was so much about their condition which he thanked God for, such as:
Their faith in Christ - vs.4
Their love for the saints -vs.4
Their hope by the coming of Christ - vs.5
Their acceptance of the Gospel and it’s going forth in the world - vs.6
Their knowledge of the grace of God in truth which they had learned from the minister Epaphras - vs.7
Epaphras, who declared to Paul and their fellow workers, the colossians love in the spirit - vs.8
Surely for everyone who has worked to plant the Gospel seed, to hear such things is edifying. It is reciprocal. It encourages the one’s to whom have labored ever as much as the ones who are growing in faith.
So often we can form the habit of concentrating on the negative, but I hope we will learn from Paul’s opening statements here in Colossians 1. May we have such an attitude of prayerful thanksgiving toward our fellow Christians, for being the family of God is so powerful that it takes preeminence over all relationships in life. As Paul wrote Philemon concerning Onesimus
“For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, not longer as a slave but more than a slave - a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” (Philemon 15-16;NKJV)
As we end, I pray we are in constant thanksgiving to God for His rich and abundant grace,mercy, and love for all the saints. Amen.
