Thanksgiving week is approaching and my prayer is that my brothers and sisters in Christ be blessed with an attitude of gratitude. I think about how many turkey dinners are going to be served during this holiday season, and then I think about how many families will be truly blessed as a result of giving thanks to the holy God of the Universe. Strangely, even as I write this to you, I’m stricken with the fear that the essence of this holiday has been lost to food and football. Nonetheless, I’m encouraged, as should you be, also, that there will be millions of us celebrating God’s grace. May I echo Paul’s sentiments:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
– Philippians 4:4-9
Thanksgiving isn’t just about a laundry list of things to be grateful for; rather, it’s a sense of abiding. As I’ve been preaching from the pulpit, as of late, it’s a sense of abiding in the sphere of God, which, as I like to remind folks, is a “package deal”. When you abide in thanksgiving, you find yourself in love, too! Isn’t that just grand?!! What I’ve found over the years is that a good attitude about one’s blessings is mighty contagious – most of us just need a little nudge, a quick reminder of how much we have to be grateful for – well, you might be that nudge for someone else this year!
Sadly, we often preoccupy ourselves with all the things we “think” we want, but don’t have (I say it this way because, obviously, God has decided against this thing we want). We think we want a lot of things, don’t we? Maybe this year we dwell on the fact that God’s decision not to grant certain wishes is as good a reason as any for thanksgiving. Maybe we turn our attitudes upside down and appreciate God’s protecting us from our own lusts. Maybe a little perspective really does go a long way.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Life is short – the older I get, the more I realize that this isn’t just a punchline someone spouts as they do something daring or stupid. How shall we spend our time, then? Shall we reach across the thanksgiving dinner table with a kind word? Shall we invite others to engage with us instead of being cold and distant? Shall we reveal Christ’s love to others this year, and then give thanks to God for the opportunity to do so? These sound like great alternatives. And you know what? They’re all attainable with a little commitment to thanksgiving this year.
It doesn’t take much to simply be thankful. I’d argue that it’s more exhausting being ungrateful, not to mention, it makes you miserable.
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
– Ephesians 5:19-20
There’s so much encouragement in the Bible on the topic of thanksgiving. I think sometimes we forget that God gives us this kind of guidance because it’s good for us, His children. Some might argue (I’ve heard such things) that the Thanksgiving holiday just isn’t what it used to be. Fair enough in some cases. But, aren’t we partakers of that same table? Might we share a little of the blame by giving up so soon on an attitude of gratitude? Might we be a part of the problem and therefore a potential catalyst towards the solution? Might we be the ones called to spread the good news this year? Food for thought.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
– Colossians 3:16-17
We believers have been blessed beyond measure. It’s an awful thing to realize that what’s been haunting us over the past few years may have been our lack of thanksgiving, isn’t it? We Americans, with our ultra-competitive natures, often cripple our own ability to rejoice by focusing on all the things we don’t have. All we have to do to escape this plague is to remember that every human being that’s ever lived has done so with way more unfulfilled desires than fulfilled ones. Life is so short that it’s silly to concern ourselves with the billions of things we don’t have or haven’t experienced.
We’d all do very well this holiday season if we simply remember the following:
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
– 1 Corinthians 1:4-8
I’ll be praying for your happiness this year, I promise. Please enjoy your loved ones, considering your time with them precious. Take a moment to spread a cheerful attitude. If anyone asks what you’re so happy about, tell them that God is good, Jesus loves you, and life doesn’t get any better than that!
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins