Overflowing

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude (Col 2:6-7).

It is said that in Christianity salvation is based on grace, but Christian living is based on gratitude. Paul here talks about "overflowing with gratitude". Jesus spoke of the "abundant life". How does that work?

Most humans go through life as vacuums. That is, they are constantly wanting more, constantly consuming, constantly seeking. The standard human being is consumed with self. Life, as we know it, revolves around us. The Christian life is not the standard human life. Christianity is premised on "abundant". It starts with "more than I'll ever need or want".

How is that? Well, when properly understood, that's where we are as Christians. We have had our most basic need remedied, the need for a vital relationship with God. Not only are our sins forgiven (oh, such delight!), but we are declared righteous. Do you see the difference? Not only a clean slate, but a full larder of goodness! The debits have been removed and the account has been filled on the credit side. Next, we have the love of God, full and unknowable. Beyond that, we now have the Holy Spirit, "Christ in you". "It is God who is at work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure." Any perception of lack is a misperception because your Father knows how to give good gifts. His eye is on the sparrow; you know He watches over you. So, we have a clean slate, a full righteousness account, everything God knows we need, and God's very Spirit at work in us. That's completion. That's "more than I'll ever need or want".

We are uniquely positioned to break with the standard human being. The fact that we don't is a slap in the face of God. But we can. We can give without loss, love without return, sacrifice without disaster. We cannot outgive God. What a marvelous condition to be in! Perhaps, then, you'll see that it makes little sense to spend a Sunday morning hoping to "get something out of church". What more do you need? Give! Be "overflowing with gratitude."