A HEART OF THANKSGIVING
By Glenda Ward
McDowell County
Thanksgiving is upon us, fall is in full swing, and the leaves are changing along with the weather. At Thanksgiving, everyone is thinking about giving Thanks. Most people have at least some inkling of Thanks, but are we to simply be thankful or is there something more to it?
It has been nearly 400 years since the very first Thanksgiving in the United States. The actual date of this important time shifted around throughout the years before finally resting on the last Thursday of November, but the spirit of the celebration remains the same. This was set in motion by President Abraham Lincoln on Thanksgiving Day October 20, 1864. President Lincoln stated:
“Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may then be, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.”
Thanksgiving is more than just another holiday and there is no better time to celebrate our gratitude toward God and His many blessings, than this special time of year. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all the good in your life. It is through Thankfulness to God that our faith is reinforced and strongholds are broken in our lives. Let us be especially Thankful for celebrating Thanksgiving and the goodness of God during the week of Thanksgiving. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are commanded “In everything give thanks: for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” But it is also a privilege that shifts our focus from our problems to His great grace. We are to, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). Part of the discipline involved in being Thankful is to realize the goodness of God and His everlasting love toward us. “O give Thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 107:1). “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father” (James 1:17).
From the first feast of Thanks the entire journey of Thanksgiving Day is of significance. From Thankfulness to greed, we come full circle. The curse of sin will always taint even the best of intentions as long as we’re here on earth, even as it has on this holiday, originally set aside to declare and celebrate Thankfulness to God. Thanksgiving is a chance to identify true gratitude and separate it from the materialistic and secular things that seek to divert gratitude and devotion from God to idols. Just as God can redeem the time, He can redeem this day, starting with us. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, God prizes cheerful givers. This is an encouragement to be generous out of the many blessings we have received and to give with joy! God gives to us so that we might give to others. We should be thankful. But just being thankful is shortsighted unless we realize who receives the Thanks. As Christians, we Thank God often, but what is missing at Thanksgiving is not an attitude of gratitude, but rather a God-ward attitude. Let gratitude be the ingredient upon which you kneel to encounter God in prayer. God is the source, substance, and end of everything that we are, do, have, and enjoy. He alone is worthy of our Thanksgiving. When we Thank God, we praise and honor Him for who He is.
Being thankful is as much about focusing on who God is, as it is about what God has done. Some have suffered loss and hardships but we need to remember God is still in control and that He is always good no matter how things appear! Thank God for your heavenly treasures “where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:20).
As we gather this Thanksgiving with people we know and love to give thanks to God for the blessings with which He has enriched our lives, please realize that Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are and Thank God for it. “Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving Thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Colossians 3:17). It is because of Jesus that we can be Thankful. Be grateful this Thanksgiving and think about the One who should receive all the Thanks. Thank God through Jesus – because of what He has done for you.
It is how we use our blessings that is our true measure of Thanksgiving. THANK YOU JESUS!
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Glenda Ward is a member of Grand View Baptist Church in McDowell County and is a Christian writer/author of “Something to Think About” – weekly Christian Articles. She finds purpose and joy in writing Church Programs & Bulletins, VBS Material, Christmas and Easter Programs, Memorials, and now expanding to include weekly articles to other churches, as well as writings to include Christian-based articles on Relationships in Marriage; all material based on the KJV of the Bible. From personal experience, I hope to set an example of how to serve a risen Savior and live by the Holy Spirit with joy. My goal is to help people partake of the better option in life to experience the transforming power that is available in Christ Jesus today. You can read more, good, Christian news from Glenda HERE.
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