I have a confession to make: Growing up, I had a conflicted relationship with Thanksgiving. I was born the day after Thanksgiving, and every few years, Thanksgiving eclipses my birthday. As a kid, I came close to resenting the fact that we ate a special meal, watched parades and football, and decorated for Christmas, and my birthday was almost an afterthought.
Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t hate Thanksgiving. Instead, I guess young me was envious that a holiday overshadowed my birthday.
For all those years, I don’t think I let on to anybody how much I disliked taking a back seat to a holiday. I’m pretty sure my parents didn’t know, and if they did, they never let it show.
Looking back, it’s easy to admit what a terrible attitude I had. It was certainly not from a lack of gratefulness as much as it was from an abundance of selfishness, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve made my peace with Thanksgiving.
It has taken not just age by spiritual maturity to get where I am today. My relationship with Jesus has been the catalyst for all kinds of growth, especially when it comes to giving thanks. The Bible reminds us all over the place of the essential nature of thanksgiving.
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” —Psalm 9:1 (ESV)
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” —Psalm 95:2-3 (ESV)
“And you will say in that day: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.’” —Isaiah 12:4-6 (ESV)
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” —Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)
“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 (ESV)
On his podcast on Wednesday, Dr. Albert Mohler discussed how believers in Jesus should be grateful every day and how we should see Thanksgiving as theological:
One of the most honest things we could possibly do is simply concede that but for God giving us all things, we would have nothing. And that begins with our own existence and with the gift of life, but it extends to all things.
You know, at the very least, in Romans 1, it reminds Christians we’re to be the people who do not suppress the truth in unrighteousness. We’re the people who are not supposed to be confused about this. We are not to exchange the truth of God for a lie.
Instead, we are to say, “We are thankful to the one true and living God, the maker of Heaven and Earth, who has given us all things, and who has made us in His own image and lavished us with His love, has given us a cosmos. And in that cosmos, a planet that is habitable for human beings, and has given us such a beautiful place, and has given us goods beyond our imagination, including the experience of love.” The love between a man and a woman that results in marriage, the love between parents and their children, the love that is extended generation by generation.
The gift of community, the gift of town, the gift of city, the gift of nation, the gift of love, just all the gifts that God has given us, the gift of beauty, the gift of art, the gift of music, the gift of athletics, the gift of enjoyment, the gift of game, the gift of concert, the gift of table laden with food.
He continued:
It’s just an incredible opportunity to think theologically and to understand that what we had before is a theology of Thanksgiving and an apologetic of Thanksgiving. The theology of Thanksgiving underlines the fact that we know this as Christians. We know that a Thanksgiving Day is ludicrous on the one hand, and necessary on the other.
It’s ludicrous because we can’t possibly, given all that God has given us, say, “Okay, this day is gonna satisfy our need to give thanks to God.” That’s absolutely ridiculous. The Bible tells us that our lives are to be lived out as lives of thanksgiving to God, the entire life, every day, every hour, and every place, as a matter of fact.
I’m keenly aware of the incredible blessings in my life: a loving, close family and wonderful friends, salvation and God’s grace and mercy, health, a job that allows me to share my thoughts and opinions, the freedom to express them, the privilege of being part of a church family who loves the Lord and reaches into the community — and the list goes on and on.
By the way, if you’re one of our PJ Media VIPs, I’m grateful for you! You make it possible for us to do what we do, so thank you.
In my adult life, I choose to be grateful not just one day a year, but every day. And I choose to give thanks as often as I can. In a sermon a few years ago, my pastor made the distinction between being grateful — a state of being — and giving thanks — an action. And I want to be active in my thanks.
Happy Thanksgiving from one who used to celebrate grudgingly. Embrace a lifestyle of giving thanks this week and every day of your life.
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Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. Give thanks boldly, live gratefully, and fight the good fight.
