The Deeper Meaning of Thanksgiving

I’m sure that we are all thankful at least one day out of the year. Thanksgiving is typically a day in which most people try their best to be thankful. I don’t think we mean to be ungrateful so much throughout the rest of the year. But, I do think that we are often not grateful enough for all the things we already have. It is really easy to get distracted by all the bad around us. So much so that we can’t see the good well enough to be thankful for it. We must dig into the deeper meaning of thanksgiving in order to truly appreciate our blessings despite the bad lurking over our shoulders.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
(1Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)

Thankful Despite Trials

It can be extremely difficult to be thankful everyday, especially when we find ourselves in a whirlwind of anxieties. However, we are actually supposed to “give thanks in all circumstances”. We are also supposed to “Rejoice always, pray continually”. So no matter what, in all of life’s trials we are supposed to be thankful… but this is impossible…right? No, my friend, actually we can be thankful despite the trials raging around us.

Being a Christian & truly believing in Christ as our savior gives us a much deeper meaning to being thankful whether it is Thanksgiving or not. We should understand that Jesus gave His life for us to save us from ourselves and our own sinful nature.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
(John 3:16-17, NIV)

It’s pretty easy to see that Jesus’ sacrifice and His unfailing love is something to be thankful for all the time. But, are we truly and honestly thankful every single day, despite the circumstances we are faced with?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
(Philippians 4:6, NIV)

Focus on Good not Negative

We are, first and foremost, not supposed to be anxious about ANYTHING! When we are not worried it is a whole lot easier to be thankful isn’t it? When we worry we are too focused on the negative that we can’t “see” the good to be thankful for.

Now, some people might think that never being anxious about anything is an impossible task. But… that is actually a lie of Satan’s to steal your joy, make you get mad at God and turn from Him. Please don’t fall for that lie. If you struggle with being overwhelmed with worry and being anxious make sure to read my post “Gain Peace by Learning to Pray More and Worry Less”. It will further show you how to overcome worry.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
(James 1:16-17, NIV)

God is For Us

God is most definitely for us, not against us. James tells us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…”. James did not say some good or perfect gifts were from God, but he said EVERY good gift was from God. If God so loved you that He was willing to let His son die on the cross for you don’t you think that He would also provide for your daily needs? He most definitely will and so much more because His love is unfailing.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
(1 Chronicles 16:34, NIV)

Everything we have both great and small comes from the Father because of His forever enduring love. Therefore, since God loves us enough to let His son die for every single one of us (John 3:16), His love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34), and God is for us and not against us (James 1:16-17) we should be put at ease that we can take all of our requests to God in prayer and petition (Philippians 4:6). We should also understand that God gives us everything we have and we have no need to worry. I guarantee He will take care of us perfectly!

Much to be Thankful for

We have so much more to be thankful for than we even realize. How often do we thank God for the possessions we have let alone the air we breathe? When we understand that the deeper meaning to thanksgiving is that God gives us everything we have our whole life will be easier to deal with. We will sing praises to His name every day, not just a few times a year or on a special holiday like Thanksgiving.

Once we have a good grasp on all that we should truly be thankful for we also should know that despite whatever is wrong in our lives we can still be thankful for all that we do have.

Counting our Blessings

So what worry is holding back your heart and mind from being overwhelmingly thankful every day? That storm that is raging in your life is in God’s loving hands. He will take care of it in His perfect way. Breathe a sigh of relief by counting all your blessings and being thankful no matter the day.

In Christ’s Love,

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.