A Brief Reflection on Thanksgiving

My guess is that during the holiday hustle and bustle you have slightly less time to read blog posts, or at least I hope you do because I have slightly less time to write them. So rather than a typical post I want to share a few scattered thoughts about the topic of giving thanks.

 

The New Testament repeatedly commands the giving of thanks. A few months back my kids discovered fire hydrants. I, of course, knew what a fire hydrant was, but if you had asked me if there were any fire hydrants in my neighborhood I would likely have mumbled something like, “I assume so.” Once my kids discovered them I came to learn that my neighborhood does in fact have quite a few fire hydrants, if you were wondering. It’s easy to miss something that is right in front of you if you aren’t looking for it. One day while reading through Paul’s letters it hit me: there are a lot of exhortations to thanksgiving as well as examples of thanksgiving, and even teaching on thanksgiving in these letters. Once I started looking for the theme, I began to see it everywhere. The next time you read Scripture and giving thanks gets a mention, be sure to notice it. If you do, you will likely begin to discover, as I have, that you will notice it a lot.

 

Giving thanks is something you should do when you don’t feel like it, but you should want to feel like it. God calls us to Christian duties, and to be honest we don’t always feel like doing them. The solution is not to quit doing them, but to take seriously the sorry state of our heart, ask God for grace and mercy, and push forward with duty looking to the Spirit to turn our duty into a delight. One thing we have often done with our kids is tell them they must say “thank you” at times when they don’t feel like it. It’s amazing to watch the change that can come over them just by saying those simple words. If you find yourself having a hard time being thankful this year, for whatever reason, try counting your blessings. Make yourself say “thank you,” and ask God to give you a grateful heart for His many gifts as you do. Doing so will first of all be obedience to Scripture, which commands your thankfulness, but may also become a means of God helping you learn gratitude.

 

Giving thanks can save your spiritual life. Romans 1 traces the downward spiral away from God into the wickedness of idolatry and immorality. Where does this spiral begin? “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful” (Romans 1:21) Often the first step on the path away from God is the sin of ingratitude. The founder of the Christian college to which I went used to say, “When gratitude dies on the altar of a man’s heart, that man is well nigh hopeless.” People who aren’t thankful can easily become greedy, and greedy become can quickly become sullen and bitter. Do your soul some good. Thank God for His many blessings.

 

 

I don’t know what Thanksgiving traditions you have. My family would always watch the Macy’s Day parade and the dog show, as well as eat a turkey dinner. These were special traditions, because I don’t think we would have done them any other day of the year. But whatever fun (or boring) traditions you might have, don’t forget the purpose of the holiday. Don’t forget the name of the holiday. Don’t forget to give thanks. It’s a spiritual duty, and one that just might save you a lot of pain.

 

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul:

And all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;

Who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;

Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;

So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:1-5

 

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Ben Hicks is the Associate Pastor at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis. This article originally appeared on his Substack.

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Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash