“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:6-12

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you, I’m praying that it will be restful and you’ll each enjoy time with friends. I’m always aware at the holidays, that for some it is not a happy time and that it might feel difficult to be thankful. Sometimes it takes some introspection to identify what we have to be grateful for. But this brings up, for me, two points, one psychological and one spiritual.

The psychological point deals with letting go of resentment. Each of us has been hurt in our childhood and in our lives, some much worse than others. By the time we’re into our twenties, it becomes incumbent on us to let go of the continuing sense of violation or we end up in a perpetual state of being victims. Staying in a place of resentment and victimhood is the perfect recipe for misery. Jesus tells us to forgive those who have violated us – maybe for their sakes but much more for our own. The emotional recipe for happiness entails living in the present without our old baggage. It also entails adopting an attitude of gratitude – being thankful for the things and people we have. It’s easy to think that the crowd who has more is happier. It’s not the possessions that make for fulfillment and happiness, it’s the purpose and the attitude. And when we adopt that attitude, people begin to be much more attracted to us. It creates a positive context for our lives with other people.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Jesus, Matthew 6:19-24

It's pretty obvious that we live in a materialistic society where advertising works hard to convince us that we desperately need things that, in fact, that we really just want. Pressing us to desire the new best thing, this culture pushes us to dissatisfaction with products that really are satisfactory, impels us to near belief that we are somehow deficient if we do not "own" or purchase some item and even derelict in our lifestyle if we fail to acquire whatever they are trying to sell. Then, pulling the final spin, they try to convince us that we'll feel/look/act better if we have that item and, finally, that their interest is only directed toward providing the espoused item, such as the famous McDonalds' slogan "We do it all for you." Well, of course they do.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

Matthew 7:1-5

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Luke 6:37-38


You know, this relationship with Jesus is starting to cramp my style. First off, I’m told to deal with my own hurt and resentment and see if I’ve done anything to offend the other guy. Then I’m told to let go of anger and not hold on to it, particularly not act on it destructively. Then I’m told not to rage or let my emotions take control of me. Now this one is over the top, I’m not supposed to judge other people! Not judge? How can I not judge, seeing all the stuff people do and how they are?

"Have no part at all in the wrong things that young men like to do. Believe. Have love. Follow what is right. Live at peace. Do these things along with others who have a clean heart and talk to God."

"Keep out of foolish quarrels. You know that they start fights. The Lord's servant must not quarrel or fight. But he must be kind to all people. He must be a good teacher to them. He must be patient with them. When he corrects those who are against him, he must do it in a gentle way. It may be that God will turn their hearts to know what is true." 2 Timothy 2:22-25

If you take a first look at this passage, Paul sounds pretty rigid and like a spoil-sport. One of the indictments of Christianity for years has been that it takes all the fun out of normal living. But a second look teaches us a few important things. Paul is talking to Timothy who is, we’d say today, a second-generation leader of the church. Timothy was younger but was probably already about 40 at the time this was written. If you think of him as a mature leader of the church, these paragraphs do not sound that restrictive. Paul knew that people are going to look at the leaders of a church and make a determination about their integrity and the caliber of that church. So Paul is saying first to act adult, show your faith and express love to people, live a decent and peaceful life-style, hang out with good people and pray, “talk to God.” Not really that limiting.