Failing to thank God is one of the symptoms of sin and rebellion (Romans 1:21). It follows, therefore, that part of repenting of sin and turning to God is being thankful to God. Colossians (in the Bible) has a thankfulness thread that runs through the letter.

Paul is thankful to the Father that the Christians in Colossae have their faith in Jesus (Colossians 1:3). He then encourages them, as those who’ve been forgiven by God, to likewise give thanks to the Father (Col 1:12). Presumably, part of their conversion to Jesus was shown in thankfulness, hence Paul urges them to continue to be overflowing with thankfulness (Col 2:7).

In chapter 3 they are then urged to “be thankful” in response to the peace that Jesus brings (verse 15). In the next sentence they are to teach and sing with thankfulness to God (verse 16). And then finally, the section closes with a verse that suggests that thankfulness is to be an all-consuming characteristic of the Christian life: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (verse 17)

Be thankful.

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There are valuable and important lessons to be learnt from books on leadership, strategy and vision. In the quote below, Don Carson warns that insights from these fields must never replace the Cross of Jesus at the centre of Christian life and ministry.

At the moment, books are pouring off the presses telling us how to plan for success, how “vision” consists in clearly articulated “ministry goals,” how the knowledge of detailed profiles of our communities constitutes the key to successful outreach. I am not for a moment suggesting that there is nothing to be learned from such studies. But after a while one may perhaps be excused for marvelling how many churches were planted by Paul and Whitefield and Wesley and Stanway and Judson without enjoying these advantages. Of course all of us need to understand the people to whom we minister, and all of us can benefit from small doses of such literature. But massive doses sooner or later dilute the gospel. Ever so subtly, we start to think that success more critically depends on thoughtful sociological analysis than on the gospel; Barna becomes more important than the Bible. We depend on plans, programs, vision statements – but somewhere along the way we have succumbed to the temptation to displace the foolishness of the cross with the wisdom of strategic planning. Again, I insist, my position is not a thinly veiled plea for obscurantism, for seat-of-the-pants ministry that plans nothing. Rather, I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.

(taken from D.A. Carson The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians – Baker Books p. 26)

The progression from preaching the gospel to denying the gospel is a dangerous slippery slope (preaching > assuming > neglecting > denying). Are you a Christian? Keep the main thing the main thing! Not a Christian? Go read about the main thing.