Thank God For You

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: Colossians 1

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:3 NLT)

As I began reading through Colossians, the thing that caught my attention first was part of Paul’s greeting to the Christ-followers in Colosse: “We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God!”  Then I thought about the greeting at the beginning of Paul’s letters to his friends in…:

Philippi: Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. (Philippians 1:3 NLT)

Ephesus: I have not stopped thanking God for you… (Ephesians 1:16 NLT)

Corinth: I always thank my God for you… (1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT)

Rome: …I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you… (Romans 1:8 NLT)

Paul loved these people deeply—the ones he knew well and the ones he had never met face-to-face.

God has graciously given Jean and me the privilege of loving Christ-followers around the world. This morning I thought of friends in Jamaica, Hong Kong, Japan, UK, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sudan, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada, and I thanked God for them all. I thanked God for each one who came to mind. I remembered times when we were serving Jesus together. I remembered our love and friendship for each other. I thought about how glad I feel when I hear news from friends in faraway places.

Then, I thought about my friends and fellow Christ-followers here in Bend, Oregon and across the USA, and how much they mean to me. I thought about friends in Christ I’ve never met face-to-face who are reading GraceNotes across the USA and around the world. I’m wealthy beyond measure in the relationships God has given me!

Friends, value your relationships and invest yourself in them. Your relationships are your real, true, lasting wealth! You can take that with you! Take a few moments to thank God for them today!

Prayer:

Father, Thank you for my family and for my friends around the world. Thank you for their friendship, their faith, their service, their sacrifice, and their influence. Thank you for what each friend and family member means to me. Thank you for friends and fellow-servants of Jesus I’ve never met face-to-face. Bless them with all spiritual and all natural blessings. May they know that someone is thankful for them today! Amen.