Post 19: Thanksgiving unto God
Image: AI generated image of a man praying with a thanksgiving theme and a cross and candles in the background shown with the words "Our Spiritual Thanksgiving" at the top.
Summary: This post discusses the concept of the celebration of Thanksgiving from both a secular and a biblical sense and discus how we as Christians ought to show Thanksgiving to God.
Section 1: A very brief Introduction to Thanksgiving
What is thanksgiving and why is it celebrated?
Thanksgiving holidays are typically a celebration of the blessings of the year, where we express gratitude for blessings such as good health, relationships, or a bountiful harvest. In my family, we usually cook and share a holiday meal together, which generally consists of some sort of prepared whole Turkey, along with various side dishes like green bean casserole, sweet potato soufflé and cornbread dressing. See my homepage for a small sample of some of the thanksgiving recipes we've enjoyed as a family. During the weeks prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday, we also like to take time to participate in acts of service or charity, such as volunteering, donating food, or preparing meals for those in need. We also take time to reflect on many of the things we are thankful for.
Historically, the origins of Thanksgiving trace back to a 1621 harvest feast shared by Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to celebrate a successful harvest after a harsh first winter. It is important to note that the popular story of the "First Thanksgiving" is often romanticized. For many Indigenous communities, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning marked by centuries of dispossession, broken treaties, violence, forced assimilation, and cultural erasure that followed European colonization.
For the purposes of this writing, I felt it was important to at least briefly recognize how America has whitewashed the true story of Thanksgiving to make it more palatable than its origin actually is. The main focus of this writing, however, is to discuss the concept of Thanksgiving and how that relates to God, so I will not be going any further into the history of Thanksgiving in America here. For additional information and context on the history of the Thanksgiving holiday, here are a couple of resources for you to explore.
https://snoqualmietribe.us/tribal-perspectives-on-thanksgiving
https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/rethinking-thanksgiving
What does it mean to be thankful or to show gratitude?
Thankfulness is defined as a feeling of pleasure or relief in response to a specific, often temporary, circumstance. It is often characterized more as an emotional response expressing appreciation for a specific event or kindness. An example of this could be showing thankfulness for someone who helps you fulfill a need that you have, or expressing thanks for a gift that you received from someone.
Gratefulness is defined as a deeper, more consistent, deliberate practice or mindset of appreciation for the life you have in a general sense, regardless of your current circumstances. Gratitude often builds on thankfulness, adding a deeper meaning to life and acknowledging the source of the goodness, whether a person or a general state of being. An example of this might be having a long-term feeling of gratitude for your health, your family, and/or having basic needs like food, shelter, and supportive relationships met.
From these two definitions, you can see how they are similar but not the same thing. One way that helps me differentiate the two is this example: I can be thankful for a specific good thing that occurred in my life without necessarily feeling a sense of profound lasting gratitude.
How does gratitude/thankfulness impact our health or benefit us, or others around us? Spiritually? Physically? Mentally? Emotionally?
Gratitude involves shifting your attention to the positive aspects of your life rather than dwelling on the negative, which can help to improve your mood and foster an overall positive outlook, even in difficult situations or circumstances. An example could be that you intentionally practice gratefulness about your life despite receiving a recent bad health diagnosis.
Showing gratitude and appreciation for others also helps to build and strengthen relationships and connections with others. Practicing gratitude can also help to build resilience, helping you cope with difficult feelings by providing a sense of contentment regardless of external circumstances.
Section 2: The Spiritual Thanksgiving to God
What is thanksgiving in the Bible?
In the Bible, spiritual thanksgiving is a form of worship to God, acknowledging gratitude for His presence, His character, who He is, and what He has done and expressing thanks through praise and prayer like His provision (), His sacrifice, His love (Psalm 136:1, John 3:16, and His faithfulness. Thanksgiving is a daily spiritual discipline that deepens our relationship with God, anchors us in hope, and shifts our perspective, especially during difficult times. Biblical thanksgiving is also about being grateful even in difficult times by focusing on spiritual blessings rather than material ones.
Who is God, that we should show Thankfulness and Gratitude to Him?
The more I learn about God and His attributes, the more reasons I find to give all thanks, glory, and honor to Him alone. A few examples of some of His attributes include His Goodness (Psalm 145:9), His Unfailing Love (Psalm 136, John 3:16), His Grace (Ephesians 1:6-7, Titus 2:11), His Patience (2 Peter 3:9), His Kindness (Isaiah 54:8, Titus 3:4), and His Mercy (Psalm 51:1, Titus 3:5 )
In His grace, God has also provided for salvation and eternal life through the sacrificial, substitutionary, atoning death of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ! In his mercy, does not give us what we deserve, which is the death Jesus died on the cross for our sins. For me, these might be the greatest of reasons that I am thankful to God!
What is salvation?
Biblical salvation is the deliverance from sin and its eternal consequences through faith in Jesus Christ! It is a gift from God, achieved through the death and resurrection of Jesus, is received by believing in Him and results in eternal life (John 3:16). Salvation is applied by believing in Christ! Those who trust in Him alone for the payment of their sins will have the payment he made on our behalf applied to themselves, thereby fully wiping away their sin debt to God.
What are we saved from?
God created mankind to love, worship, and be with Him. He gave mankind a command, but through our own rebellion and disobedience stemming from doubting God and not taking Him at His word, we sinned against God and were cast out of His presence, spiritually separated from Him (Genesis 3).
God is Holy and hates sin. Sin separates mankind from God, and must be punished. This separation results in being under Gods condemnation. God did not want to leave us that state, separated from His grace, so He made a way out of the condemnation we brought onto ourselves so that we could be saved.
God offers us all salvation through the death of His only begotten son Jesus Christ! On the cross, Jesus paid the price for all of our sins in His own body, dying the death meant for us. He took the wrath of God for sin onto himself to "save" those who would believe that Jesus died for the remission of their sin so that they might have everlasting Life.
In salvation, we are reconciled back to God our creator and therefore spared from the condemnation of Gods wrath. Those who reject the salvation of Christ do not have their sins paid for, therefore are not covered by the blood of Christ, and so remain under Gods Wrath. On the day of Gods final judgement, all those who have rejected Christ's payment for their sins through their unbelief will be cast body and soul into a place of eternal separation from Gods grace, where there will be unquenchable fire, and torment forever.
In Christ, God has given us all spiritual blessings through Christ, chief among these spiritual blessings is the grace and mercy that provides redemption and salvation through the blood of Christ! AMEN! We ought to thank Him constantly for our salvation! (Psalms 118:21, Romans 4:6-8)
It is vitally important to note that anyone who rejects the sacrifice of Christ has not been reconciled to God through faith in Christ and therefore cannot give thanks to God as they are outside of Gods will (1 Timothy 2:4)!
Section 3: How Christians Participate in Thanksgiving
How do we (Christians) show thanksgiving to God?
Biblical thanksgiving is a constant response to God, which encourages believers to be always thankful, even in difficult circumstances, as this is God's will for us in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20). We are also called to give thanks for the heavenly inheritance we will recieve as part of being reconciled through Christ (Matthew 25:34, 1 Peter 1:4-7, Hebrews 12:28). The book of Revelation also shows that thanksgiving is a central part of worship in heaven (Revelation 4:9-11).
There are several ways we can practice or express spiritual thanksgiving in our daily lives. We can express thanksgiving through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). We can express thanksgiving and gratitude in singing praises to God through psalms, hymns, and songs (Psalm 100:4) and recognizing Him for all of his Mighty Works (Psalm 103:2, Psalm 69:30, Psalm 30:11-12, Hebrews 13:15)
We can show gratitude and thanksgiving to God through incorporating worship into our daily lives, doing everything as though we are doing it for the Lord (Colossians 3:17). We should also be mindful that our bodies are living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God and we should take care of our bodies and seek to living in holiness as a our spiritual worship to God Romans (12:1). Cultivating a thankful heart can push out negative emotions like bitterness and envy and allows God's peace to rule in your heart.
Another way to show thanksgiving is through celebrating with feasts and sacrifices as a way to thank God for a bountiful harvest or other blessings. In Post 18: The Spiritual Harvest, I discussed the most important reference to any harvest being God's spiritual harvest and how we are included into the spiritual harvest when we place our faith in Christ for salvation and are added to the Spiritual Harvest.
As born again believers in Christ, we should also give personal offerings to God, which could include donating money to your local body of Christ (e.g. local church). We could also include personal sacrifices to God, such as going on a fast, as a form of worship. We can offer your time by volunteering at local shelters as you share your faith with others, and volunteering in your church to lend a hand however you can.
Thanksgiving can also be a response to hardship, serving as a "spiritual barometer" of a person's faith, and encouraging a focus on the eternal hope found in God through Christ, rather than focusing on the potential negativity that arises from bad situations. I think Job is the best biblical example of a person whose full trust in God, that even when God allowed the devil to take all his possessions, his family, and even his health sparing his life, Job still did not curse or blaspheme God despite the immense suffering and loss Job experienced (Job 13:15). In the end, Job was blessed with much more than he had originally lost (Job 42:10), signifying that those who trust in God will be experience the greatest restoration.
This restoration, found in Christ, is chiefly spiritual restoration that culminates in being in heaven with God, the value of which cannot ever truly be measured! We ought to thank God daily for even allowing for such a precious and immeasurable gift as the gift of salvation!
How do I show thanksgiving to God?
I show my thanksgiving to God through regularly praying and including my prayers of sharing with God all the ways I am thankful to him, chiefly being the most thankful in my creation and in my salvation! To show my gratitude and thankfulness for God, I've committed myself to serving in my local church, in my community, and being a vocal witness for Christ in all the activities that I assist with.
On my last trip back home to SC in November 2024 (my salvation occurred in February 2024), I felt conviction to begin setting aside time to help those in need. To that end, I began volunteering to assist my old church with their holiday food drive/thanksgiving meal drive, and also helped my church serve meals to men from our local men’s shelter.
I have also been involved with Union Gospel Mission women's shelter's Bring A Meal service for several months now, where we plan, cook and execute a meal for the women on the 4th Saturday of every month. In addition, I have also recently began serving at the Union Gospel Mission men's shelter lunch service twice weekly.
I have been so richly blessed by God in committing myself to serving Him in this way. The scriptures command those who follow Jesus to be a servant to others (Matthew 25:40) and we can expect to be richly blessed and bear spiritual fruit for God (and recognize spiritual fruit in our own lives) when we follow His commandments (Proverbs 11:25, 1 John 5:3, Revelation 22:14)!
Why I am thankful to God?
I thank God for my own salvation! He was gracious to me in that He saved me by Grace through my faith in Christ! He was patient with me in that He allowed so much sin in my life for over 37 years, and even upon His conviction of my unbelief, still granted time for me to repent and believe in Christ!
I thank God for showing me undeserved mercy and grace throughout my life! He was merciful to me because he did not give me the death I deserve for my sins. There are some biblical examples of sin bringing immediate consequence from God. In the bible, Ananias and Saphira receive immediate judgement from God when their sin is revealed (Acts 5:1-11). In the Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, God brings divine judgment against Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their households who rebelled against Moses, opening up the earth and swallowing those families alive (Numbers 16:31-33, Deuteronomy 11:6).
Seeing all of the struggle, pain, suffering in the world and reflecting on my own life, I thank God that He has graciously allowed me to avoid much of it, especially considering God could have given me over to the sins that dominated my life and brought upon me the due penalty of my sins (Romans 1:18-32)! God has also blessed me in growing up in a loving home with good parents and good family life, being able bodied, as well as going above and beyond in meeting my basic needs.
I thank God that I was fired from my last job (for context, see Post 10: Outcome of the Storm) because it forced me to re-evaluate what was important in my life and I realize that I was neglecting Him and/or making it convenient to neglect Him by excuse of tiredness from long work days. I had been fired from jobs before so I wasn't new to the concept, but this time it was different. In the light of my recent salvation, I was now able to see God moving in my life through pruning the things I was placing above Him, which in this instance, was the job (John 15:2). Even in the negativity and uncertainty brought on by termination, God enabled me to go through it with such peace (Isaiah 26:3) and was reminded that all things work to the good of those whose trust is in the Lord (Romans 8:28)!
I have so much to be thankful for, recognizing that many did not have it anywhere near as good as I did growing up! Even now, as an adult who currently does not have a job, God continues to overly and abundantly meet all my needs, spiritually first, then physically, emotionally, and has blessed me with awesome fellowship with my new church family! Thank you LORD for ALL the many ways you have blessed me and kept me through the years!
Reflection exercise:
Having just discussed the meaning of Thanksgiving, thankfulness, and gratitude from a biblical and non-biblical perspective, take a few moments and think about how you can move forward and apply this to your own life. What is God doing now in your life or in the life of people you know that should merit/warrant thanksgiving? Are you trusting in Christ for salvation, being a recipient of the the promised inheritance of heaven? Has God brought you through tough times for which you can be thankful, enabling you to see His divine providence at work in your own life? Are you currently going through personal storms, and despite your current circumstances, can begin to adopt a mindset of gratitude?
Conclusion:
Making gratitude and thanksgiving a spiritual discipline, not only just a response to good times, will strengthen your faith in God, especially during difficult seasons of life. In the Scriptures, Jesus says if we love Him, we will keep his commandments (John 14:15). While the keeping of commandments does not justify us before God our Creator (Galatians 2:16), we ought to strive to keep His commandments as an expression of our love, gratitude, and thanks to God for who He is and all that He has done (1 John 2:3-6)!
Stay tuned for the next post, where I discuss my Thanksgiving 2025 and express gratitude for the awesome folks God has placed in my life!