Lent.

Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:7)

This verse in the 2nd chapter of Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae focuses on the fullness of Christ and guides us to live our lives in him. According to Bible Gateway.com, there are 62 different Bible translations of this verse.  58 of them mention the word “root” in some form, while 47 of those translations mention “abounding” or “overflowing” as it describes how the Colossians should show their thanksgiving or gratefulness.   These words are at the core of this passage.

I am particularly drawn to the CEV translation of this text which calls us to “Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation of your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught.   And be grateful.”

We are called to plant deep roots in Christ’s teachings, while also recognizing those that have taught us those lessons.  We are then called to be overflowing or abounding in our thanksgiving to God. I am so grateful for my Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, choir directors and pastors that taught me the fullness of life in Christ. It is fitting that our congregational call at First United Methodist here in Maryville is to tell the world about Christ, teach the world about Christ and touch the world for Christ. On this day during Lent, let us affirm our foundation in Jesus, remain strong in our faith, and abound in thanksgiving.

Let us pray:

Lord, thank you for those who have given us roots in the faith, taught us according to your example, and built us up in love. May we likewise build up those we encounter today, that they too may be rooted in love. Amen.  

Today’s devotional was written by Kevin Painter, and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.