Why Thanksgiving is More Than a Holiday

When you saw the title of this blog post, you might wonder, “Thanksgiving was over a week ago… why are we still talking about it?! It’s Christmas season now! I’m ready for sleighbells, ugly sweaters, and putting up all my light, trees, and nativities!” And you’re right to think that way. I’m writing on Friday, December 6th, 2024, precisely a week and a day after Thanksgiving. Most Americans (including my wife and I) have stopped thinking about pilgrims and turkeys and have taken an enthusiastic dive right into the Christmas season, and that’s not a bad thing! In fact, we had our Christmas tree up before Halloween! So, what’s up with this late blog post about Thanksgiving? I’ll cut right to the chase. I don’t think this blog post is “late” at all. Instead, I believe that Thanksgiving is much more than a holiday; it is an attitude and an action, and one that shouldn’t end after the 4th Thursday in November.

Why do I feel this way? Because I believe that God feels this way, as he reveals to us in his wonderful and Holy Scriptures. So now, let’s explore what those Scriptures say about Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is an Attitude
Before we can even sincerely give thanks, we must be thankful. We need to have an attitude of thankfulness. One of the most popular Thanksgiving traditions is what I like to call “roundtable thankfulness.” You might have done this last week! It’s when everyone around the Thanksgiving table says something they are thankful for. Parents might say, “I’m thankful for my spouse and all my wonderful children,” and small children might say, “I’m grateful for my mommy and daddy, my brothers and my sisters, and my dog and my toys.” It’s an adorable and great tradition for many families. But one thought that has been bugging me for the last few weeks has been this question… “Who are we thanking?” Even non-believers celebrate Thanksgiving, so when they get to that “roundtable thankfulness,” they might list off all the same things that a Christian would, except they have no one to thank. They know what they are thankful for but not who they are thankful to. We believers know who to thank for it all. This is what the Bible says about Jesus our Lord:
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17).
 
Paul leaves nothing out of this list. Everything in heaven and on earth, the whole universe, everything we can and can’t see, everything in the spiritual realm and everything in the physical realm, was created through Jesus and for Jesus, and all things hold together in Jesus. But when the Bible talks about what Jesus has done, it’s not just about creation but also about new creation. When Jesus saved us from sin and made us into a new creation, he gave us an eternal reason to be thankful.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
 
When Jesus called us out of darkness and into his bright salvation, we were called into a life of peace. And because of that peace, we should always be thankful. So, be thankful for your spouse and your wonderful children. And be thankful for your mommy and daddy, your brothers and sisters, your dog, and all your toys, and greatest of all, be thankful for the eternal life that Jesus earned for you! God created all things, is the reason for all things, and holds all things together (including you). An attitude of thanksgiving just makes sense!

Thanksgiving is an Action
But what good is an attitude if no action comes from it? Being thankful is not an end in itself, but it points us to the action of thanksgiving. After telling the Colossian Church to be thankful in Colossians 3:15, this is what he says next:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17). 
 
As a result of what Jesus has done, we should teach with thankfulness, we should warn others with thankfulness, we should sing our songs of worship with thankfulness. And Paul even goes so far as to say that everything we say and do should be done in Jesus’ name, giving thanks to God. If this wasn’t enough, here’s what Paul says to the Thessalonian Church as well:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
 
God is very blunt about our need to thank him at all times, in all circumstances, and in every action we take. It’s even commanded for us in these passages. But, if you’re like me, this command can be hard to obey. We often find ourselves in circumstances where it’s hard to be thankful—working overtime when you want to be at home, feeling overwhelmed with all that you have on your to-do list, facing sickness or loss, or even something as small as stubbing your toe can seemingly erase all the attitudes and actions of thanksgiving that we had planned for our day. That’s why we have to continuously choose to give thanks. It’s a spiritual discipline, a lot like prayer or fasting. When you catch yourself feeling and acting extremely non-thankful, that’s the opportunity that God is giving you to choose thankfulness; sooner or later, it may even become a habit.

So when you are working overtime – choose thankfulness by thanking God for the ability to provide for your family, which isn’t an opportunity that many even have. And when you are busy to the brim taking your kids to basketball practice, answering emails, taking your car to the mechanic, or the mundane of life – choose thankfulness by thanking God for his guidance in all things and thank him for even the tiny times of rest that are to come.  And when you can’t find something to be thankful for, thank him for the life he has given you now and into eternity.

Imagine what it looks like for you to live a life of thankfulness to God, of joy and peace and praise. Imagine all the times of our darkness that could shine a little brighter just because we chose to give thanks. I can’t promise that it will cure every problem in your life, but I can promise that our God knows what he’s doing. And when he says, “give thanks in all circumstances,” it’s because Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It’s a way of life—a good and meaningful way of life both for you and for me.
 
Psalm 100
A Psalm for giving thanks.
1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

-Landon Budke
Ministry Assistant