Thanksgiving
In a couple of days we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Following are some notes about Thanksgiving Day as found in Wikipedia.
- Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, at the end of the harvest season. It is an annual American Federal holiday to express thanks for one’s material and spiritual possessions.
- Thanksgiving was originally a religious observance for all the members of the community to give thanks to God for a common purpose.
- In his 1789 Proclamation, President Washington gave many noble reasons for a national Thanksgiving, including “for the civil and religious liberty,” for “useful knowledge,” and for God’s “kind care” and “his providence.”
Following are some definitions for “thanks” found at Answers.com and Wikipedia,
- Grateful feelings or thoughts; gratitude
- An expression of gratitude.
- Gratitude, appreciation, or thankfulness is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.
Going through this information it looks like Thanksgiving Day is not about thanksgiving any more. The truth is that the current celebration of Thanksgiving Day seems to be about vacation and shopping more than anything. It looks like we have been dragged by consumerism and have forgotten about the real purpose of this day.
What can we do? First, let’s return to the basics. This is a day in which we shall give thanks to God for all the things that he has given us. The problem is that we are so used to our life styles that we live like everything is for granted. Unfortunately, the phrase “you don’t know what you have until you loose it” is a reality for a lot of people. Probably a good perspective would be to think of each day as the last day you will be able to enjoy everything you have.
To help us recognize some basic things for which we shall be thankful, let’s see some Bible verses about thankfulness.
For our liberty from sin:
“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.” – Rom 6:17
For our victory in Christ:
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Cor 15:57
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” – 2 Cor 2:14
For our faith:
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.” – Rom 1:8
For our inheritance:
“giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” – Col 1:12
There are really good reasons to be thankful. The Bible teaches us to be thankful at all times. Thankfulness shall be part of our daily life style.
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Eph 5:20
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God – Phil 4:6
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. – Col 2:7
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thes 5:18
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. – Eph 5:4
We could think that thankfulness is a voluntary act, but the truth is that failure to be thankful could a have negative impact in our lives.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. – Rom 1:21
In one occasion Jesus healed ten lepers. The reaction of these lepers makes us remember about how people react to blessings in our days.
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him-and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” – Lk 17:11-19
Are you the one that returned? Or are you one of the nine that received the blessing and forgot about the one who blessed them?
Let’s remember all the things for which we shall be thankful to God. But do not let this be a single day event. Let’s make it part of our daily lives.
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