Jump Start # 736

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

This week is Thanksgiving. It’s an awesome holiday. Families gather. There is a feast. There is football on TV.  Many are off of work. It kicks off the Christmas season. Many remember traveling to grandparents for Thanksgiving. There the aunts and uncles and all the cousins, some of which they have not seen in a year have come to spend a day with each other. It’s a great time.

Our passage today reflects the thankful spirit. That is characteristic of a saved person. There is so much to be thankful for. The spirit of thankfulness comes from a humble heart that is not spoiled or selfish. The thankful heart creates joy and contentment within.

Paul shows us three layers of instructions in this one verse.

First, the word of Christ needs to dwell in us. We must have the Bible in us. Faith comes from the word of God. The more Bible I have, the greater my faith. Paul’s words are not that we know some Bible verses, but that the word dwells richly within us. Dwelling is where something lives. When I travel, I often stay in hotels. Although those places have beds, lamps, TV and bathroom, as my house does, I never feel like the hotel room is home. I may stay there but I don’t dwell there. There is a difference! God’s word doesn’t just pass through us, it stays. It dwells within us richly.

Next, Paul says, we are to teach and admonish each other through songs. Not just any songs, but spiritual songs, and hymns. We often do not see our singing as a teaching process. It is. Remember when Paul and Silas were in jail. At midnight they were singing hymns. An earthquake opened the doors but none of the other prisoners raced to freedom. They stayed. The singing had an impact upon them. This passage isn’t implying a gathering of the church on Sunday. I think Paul is describing the heart of a Christian. I remember my grandmother humming hymns as she worked in the kitchen. Singing hymns affects the singer. It reminds you of God and the big picture of things. It also affects those who hear. Have you ever just sung hymns throughout the day? Doing that puts a person in a good mood.

Finally, Paul said to sing those hymns with thankfulness. I’m not sure how else one could sing hymns, unless it was out of duty. The thankful heart is singing to God. Those songs and thoughts will remind a person that today is a gift from God and what a blessing that is. Those songs will teach us that God is good to us. They have a way of driving out the commercial and  materialistic thoughts that seem to creep in our hearts.

Do you have a favorite hymn? Why that one? Sing today as you drive about town. In doing this you’ll find a new thing to be thankful for—and that is hymns. There are a long of hymns. Some are the old traditional ones that are classics. Some are peppy. Some are deep in thought. Some are very simple. What a variety. If you don’t have a song book at home, that would be a great gift for someone to get you for the holidays.

Singing with thankfulness…that sure lifts the cloud and turns the grumpy guy into a different person. Have you noticed how often children sing? Could it be that’s one reason why they are so happy and adults, who don’t sing much, are so sour? Sing with thankfulness… It doesn’t have to be in the church building…it can talk place Monday morning at work. It doesn’t have to be loud, I can sing to myself. It doesn’t have to be pretty, just honest and thankful.

Thankful singing…what a blessing!

Roger