Jesus gave instruction on how to live as his follower: be compassionate, forgiving, generous, etc. St. Paul picked up those themes in his epistle to the Colossians summarizing these admonitions by adding “and over all these put on love.” The Apostle then proposed the overarching attitude we must have in order to live the virtuous life: “Be thankful … singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God [and] do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Having a grateful heart undergirds the virtuous life by reminding us that all that we have and all that we are is a gift. When we understand we are merely stewards being generous comes more readily.
