Colossians 2:1-8 says, "I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
The two guardians of the soul that I want to talk about today is Faith and Gratitude. Actually, both Faith and Gratitude have a whole lot more meaning than the picture I shared above. So let's dig right in... What is Faith? Faith can be defined as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” in Hebrews 11:1. Faith is best described as a "channel of living trust", an assurance—that stretches from man to God.
Faith enables us to stand firm in our beliefs. Faith enables us to weather the storms of life. Faith enables us to see beyond present circumstance or when we can't see we can trust that God sees our circumstances. Being rooted in Christ gives Christians a firm foundation, a foundation that cannot be shaken by trials or hardships.
The role of faith in our daily life is how we choose to live each day either rooted in ourselves or rooted in Christ. Faith comes from a right relationship with God and overflows into an assurance that God cares for us deeply. How can we guard ourselves from doubt? How can we guard ourselves from despair? How can we guard ourselves from fear, worry, and stress? The answer is to allow faith to reign in our lives and take heart that greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world.
What is gratitude? Gratitude can be defined as in "and whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" in Colossians 3:17. Gratitude here is giving thanks to God in everything both word and deed.
Gratitude (overflowing thankfulness) is a guardian of the soul. Think about it, when our hearts are not thankful, we are vulnerable to the enemy's attacks of sadness, depression, anger, jealousy, and many other schemes of the devil. A song of thanksgiving is one of the best medicines to cure the soul. So encouraging a daily habit of thanksgiving is like taking a daily multivitamin or a daily vaccination against the sickness of trials and tribulations.
The role of gratitude applies to our daily life and how we interact not only with God but with others. How can we guard ourselves against complaining? How can we guard ourselves against blaming others? How can we guard ourselves against sarcasm, criticism, and cynicism? The answer is to fill are life both words and deeds with overflowing thanksgiving.
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