Friday SOAP: Just Like At The Start

Scripture
"And, now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots go 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" - Colossians 2:6-7

Observation
When we first come to Christ it is with tons of gratitude and excitement and whole-hearted devotion. And according to Paul that should never wane. That doesn't just happen. We have to stoke the fires of our heart continually. But if we are diligent about that then our hearts will be full of thankfulness - "overflow" is a strong word. The reward for building our lives on Christ is a deeply thankful heart.

Application
What am I doing TODAY to recapture the fullness of devotion that I had as a new follower of Christ, the gratitude of a freshly redeemed person? The stakes are nothing less than the condition of my heart. What parts of my life are built on a shaky foundation?

Prayer
Lord, thank you for redeeming me all of those years ago. I remember the gratitude I felt, the excitement of a new start. I pray that today - many years later - you will sink the roots of my heart deeper and deeper in you, that you will shore up the foundations of my life so that every bit is rooted in you, and that you will give me a thankful heart. Amen.