Psalms 100:4-5 (NKJV)
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”
I have to say, I was taken aback this past week when I heard someone call this upcoming holiday “Friendsgiving”. I was immediately saddened as I processed the implications of such a statement. Why would anyone call this next Thursday Friendsgiving instead of Thanksgiving?
Pretty simple… it is a way to leave God out. After all, if you’re going to call it Thanksgiving, you would need to actually be thankful for something… and well, some people just aren’t thankful.
Then there are those who not only are not thankful, but even if they are, who are they thankful to? After all, they don’t really believe that God has played a role in any part of their lives… and probably don’t even think He exists. So who would they be thankful to? Ohhh their friends… I get it.
I won’t belabor the issue. If you’re reading this, you’re probably already a Christian. If not, check out the “How To” page of this blog for help with that. But if you’re a Christian, don’t let the day pass by without stopping and acknowledging God in your life and thanking Him. There may be things that you’re not thankful for… but if you stop long enough you can probably think of something… and if you’re still struggling… I encourage you to CHOOSE to be thankful.
The simple act of giving thanks shows that you are the recipient of something that did not originate with you, has been given to you, and for which you are thankful. Giving thanks puts us in the correct mindset of acknowledging God. Don’t let the day go by without putting God in the center of your life. Use the day to verbally (yes – out loud) acknowledge what God has done for you. Thanksgiving can be an open door opportunity for bringing God in the middle of a relationship with a friend just because you give thanks. It doesn’t have to be complicated, extravagant, or even overly emotional. Just a simple statement of how you are thankful to God for something in your life…. maybe even that friend.
Whatever you do, don’t leave Him out. I think you’ll find that that simple act can change the entire day. Don’t miss the blessing of fixing your eyes on Him and giving thanks. He is so good to us… and when you receive something good… you should always say “Thank you”.