Scripture journaling
Colossians 3:12-17
Many people come back to Colossians 3:12-17 when they want their thankfulness to reach past a list of good things. The passage asks you to "Put on" a set of qualities the way you might put on a coat in the morning: compassion, kindness, humility and perseverance with people who wear you out. Then, in the middle of it all, it says simply, "be thankful."
Journaling with these verses can help you notice how gratitude connects to the rest of your day: the conversation where you held your tongue, the apology you owe or are still waiting for, the song you hummed while doing the dishes. You don't need to have it all figured out. You can write slowly, one verse at a time, and turn what you notice into prayer.
12 Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
14 Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
17 Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.
Reflection prompts
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Verse 12 opens with "Put on," as if compassion, kindness and humility were clothes you choose each day. Which of these feels easiest for you to wear right now, and which one stays folded in the drawer? Write a short prayer asking for help with it.
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Verse 12 calls its readers "holy and beloved." Write about a time you found it hard to believe you were loved. What might change in your day if you started it with that one word, beloved?
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Verse 13 speaks of "bearing with one another." Think of someone whose habits test your perseverance. List three things about them you can honestly be thankful for, even small ones.
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Verse 13 also speaks of "forgiving each other." Is there a complaint you are still carrying? Forgiveness can take a long time, and you don't need to settle it today. Write to God about where it stands, what it costs you to hold it, and what you might be ready to set down.
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Verse 14 asks you to "walk in love." Walking is ordinary. Describe one ordinary place you pass through this week, like your kitchen, a hallway at work or the school pickup line. What might love look like there?
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Verse 15 says "let the peace of God rule in your hearts" and then adds "be thankful." Write about a worry that has been ruling your thoughts lately. Then write down a few things you are thankful for today, and notice whether anything feels different as you write.
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Verse 16 mentions "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." Which song has stayed with you over the years? Write down a line you remember and describe when it first meant something to you.
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Verse 17 says "Whatever you do, in word or in deed," and ends with "giving thanks to God the Father." Look back over yesterday hour by hour. Where can you find a moment to give thanks for, even an unremarkable one? Close with a prayer of thanks for it.