There is a very long history of people advocating a belief system I will call “Jesus Plus.” The argument is that you need to have Jesus plus something else in order to be a better Christian or, in some cases, even to be a Christian. They say things like, “You need Jesus plus good deeds, such as serving the poor.” “You should make sure you have Jesus plus devotions in the Bible every day.” “What is best for you is Jesus plus a large donation to the church.” Usually none of the things they suggest are bad in themselves. The error is to suggest that anything more than Jesus is needed for our salvation and spiritual growth.
The Colossians struggled with this, too. They were told that they needed Jesus plus a collection of other beliefs. Paul wrote to root out this heresy. He reminded them that Jesus alone was sufficient and that God’s work was complete at the cross. Then Paul reminds the Colossians of the truth in today’s passage. The same way they received Jesus for salvation, with nothing more added, is the way that they will also grow in their faith. He didn’t advocate Jesus plus something else. He said that Jesus was enough for their salvation. And He is enough for their continued growth, with roots that go down deep as their faith in Him strengthens and grows each day.
Then Paul adds one more thing: “And overflowing with thankfulness.” He did not suggest that they had to manufacture those thankful hearts or needed to remember to be thankful. He did not suggest that gratitude and thanksgiving were part of a Jesus-plus way of thinking. He simply indicated that when we receive the forgiveness of Jesus for our sins and then continue to grow in Him with deep roots, the natural output will be an overflowing thankfulness.
Thanksgiving as a holiday is a wonderful reminder for all of us to stop and give thanks to God. He is good. He is loving. He deserves our heartfelt and most devoted words of thanks and praise. In addition to an annual holiday, however, is the truth that thanksgiving should be a daily overflow in our lives. If it is not, we should pause and let our roots go down more deeply into knowing and loving Jesus. We don’t need Jesus plus something else. We simply need more of Jesus.