Thanksgiving
by Nate Benard, CMDA Atlanta Area Director
About 46 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving in America each year! Nearly 51 million people travel for Thanksgiving to be with friends and family! Clearly, Americans love a good turkey dinner and getting together to enjoy it!
This all came about in 1621 when the Pilgrims left Europe to come to America in search of religious freedom. This great holiday is the result of the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians sharing an autumn harvest feast. They ate lobster during this original feast as well as turkey. And we now just eat turkey? How did that happen?
Thanksgiving is not really about the food, as much as I love a good pumpkin pie! As the name implies – it was originally about giving thanks and it should still be about giving thanks for all that God has given us.
I think many of us do not do a very good job of being thankful and thanking God. Many are highly educated and well accomplished and see the fruits of their labor solely the result of their hard work, losing sight that it is God who equipped them to be successful.
Ungratefulness and pride go hand in hand. Where one goes, the other walks beside it. We need to be grateful for all God has provided.
Francis Shaeffer, a modern theologian, once said,
“The beginning of men’s rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful heart.”
Many wise people have agreed the root of evil is ingratitude. This seemed extreme to me once, but then it made sense.
When I was a young Christian, I never understood why “Thou shall not covet” was one of the ten commandments. It seemed to me at the time that “The Nine Commandments” would not sound as good as “The Ten Commandments”. So, this one was added. It just seemed to me to not be on par with the seriousness of “Thou shall not worship another god, thou shall not commit murder or thou shall not commit adultery or thou shall not steal”. And besides EVERYONE wants something they do not have. The majority of peoples’ income goes to satisfy what they want and not necessarily what they need. People have a choice between buying a car that costs $20,000 and $120,000 to drive to work and back. Both meet the need for transportation exceedingly well; yet, many will opt to spend $100,000 more because it fulfills a want.
Then one day it hit me and I understood why “Thou shall not covet” made the Top Ten. It was not to have a nice, round number for marketing purposes after all. I realized if I am always coveting something, it is because I must not be happy with what I have. I am not grateful for what God’s plan for me is. I am not thankful to God. Additionally, I realized when I was coveting something, I was putting that above God himself. I had created an idol. I was not desiring a closer relationship with my Creator nearly as much as I was coveting a Corvette.
One day I was considering the title applied to me – a child of God. I understood the big picture and theologically being adopted by God, but I am an old, grown man. I am not a child. Then one morning I listened to my own prayers, and I sounded like a two-year-old child – I want this and I want that and me, me, me, me. I was not exhibiting a thankful heart.
I lead medical mission trips each year to Central America and the Dominican Republic. On every trip, I thank God that I am going to serve and not waiting to be served. It is only by the grace of God.
Thanksgiving needs to be every day, not once a year. It is not about the food. It’s about our heart. Thank God for the Gospel! Thank God for His provision and protection. How can we outwardly show our thankfulness for the abundance God has given us?
I saw a bumper sticker once that read, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” That is a lie from the pit of Hell! God did not give you talent and fruit to horde it, but to glorify Him. Giving back to His Kingdom is an act of thankfulness!
I hope you enjoy your family and friends as you enjoy eating turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pies, etc. More importantly, I hope you enjoy giving thanks to God. Maybe this year before giving thanks for the meal, you could go around the table giving people an opportunity to share something they are thankful for this year. My prayer is that when you pray daily, your prayer would always start with giving thanks to God before you share your requests with Him.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
What are you thankful to God for? Happy Thanksgiving!
Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash
