Back in the 70's and 80's, my friends and I often talked about how our church and church movement were on the “cutting edge of what God was doing in the earth.” We were driven by a vision for the future. Today, when I talk with those same friends, we speak about how good God has been to us through both the good and bad times. Looking back now gives us a different way of thinking about our place in God’s big picture. So today, let’s take a few moments to consider Paul’s words to a young congregation in a place called Colossae:

For though I am a long way away from you in body, in spirit I am by your side, watching like a proud father the solid steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on living in him—in simple faith. Grow out of him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in, becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it, and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness. (Col. 2:5-7)

German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a man driven by his desire to serve God, often under conditions which would terrify most of us. He chose not to avoid the danger in Nazi-controlled Germany that would eventually lead to his death. Instead, he embraced the calling God had put upon his life with joyful enthusiasm. The Nazis were systematically destroying the church, Gestapo agents were seizing church collections right off of the altars and jailing the pastors. Bonhoeffer knew his time was short and he would have to make the most of it. In 1940, he wrote his parents, telling them how the underground Christian church would have to: “live more deeply out of the past and the present…out of gratitude...than from any vision of the future.” That’s good encouragement for you and me. In our passage, Paul encouraged the Colossians to grow in grace and gratitude. He said: “Grow out of him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in, becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it, and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness.” This perspective is a sign of maturity. It’s not some future experience that will bring us endurance—it’s the past and the present. We must grow into the grace God has already given us. Today, take time to consider the many ways in which God has already poured out His grace on you. Don’t wait for tomorrow to praise the Lord. Live out your life today with joy and thanksgiving. God has already done wonderful things for you…so celebrate Him today!