Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
What happens when you accept Jesus as your Lord? What does that even mean? If you’ve been around church a while, you most likely have an answer to those questions. That is exactly why it is important to pause and ask them again. A lord is a type of ruler, like a king, who has authority and governance over you. Most people in those days had a belief in some kind of spiritual power who had control over things like the weather and who got to live or die. Accepting Jesus meant believing that he was God and the one who had control over those things.
Notice that we cannot merely accept Jesus and then carry on as we wait for our ride to Heaven. No, we must continue to follow him. He is the very source or our life — the water for our roots, the foundation for all that we are building. What does this mean in the real world? It means that when life is confusing and hard and nothing makes sense, you cling to Jesus and all that is true harder than anything you’ve ever held onto before. The result? Thankfulness.
We try too hard sometimes to “be” thankful when in reality we will naturally overflow with the stuff when we hold on to Jesus. In every situation and storm you are facing, thankfulness will pour out of you in the end because Jesus’ way works every time. It’s hard to see that or believe it while you’re in the midst of going through it. Do you believe Jesus can get you through right now? Is there another side where your faith is stronger than ever and your whole being exudes thankfulness? The only way to find out is to hold on to Jesus with everything you’ve got.