St. Paul begins his letter to the church in Colossae with a word of affirmation. “We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” The Apostle praises their faith, the love that they have and their hope. Of course further on in the letter he “corrects, rebukes and exhorts.” It is easy to notice the problems and the difficulties. We tend to fuss with people when they aren’t acting right. Maybe we should adopt St. Paul’s strategy and point out the positive things first, the things to be grateful for, before we launch into the laundry list of problems. When we know how blessed we are it is easier to face our faults and failings.
