(coffee > turkey)
Thanksgiving is one of our most pressing tasks as Christians– no, not the day where we eat turkey (or the creative vegan options out there) and catch up with family we’ve missed all year long, while we answer awkward questions about our current relationship status. I mean giving thanks to God for what he has done for us.
Gratitude is important– it’s a way of showing God we love Him, a defense against spiritual attack, and an open door for those who are seeking Christ.
While God definitely doesn’t need human approval, He absolutely delights in our praise.
Isaiah 43 mentions how we were made by God to praise Him.
“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth– everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Isaiah 43:7
“The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
Isaiah 43:21
By being grateful and giving thanks to God, we are focusing on God’s impact in our lives and not looking around at others. Comparison is where sin comes in.
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Proverbs 14:30
Even before this was written, the negative impact of comparison was felt by all of humanity, when Eve was tempted by Satan to compare herself with God.
The serpent told her a terrible half truth…or more accurately, a lie. He’s pretty well-known for those.
“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:5
Before this, Eve had been content with being like… well, Eve. She was delighted with being herself and didn’t give thought to other possibilities because she didn’t crave them when she was content.
But as soon as there came a comparison, there came jealousy, and a lack of faith that God had given her everything she needed already.
By avoiding comparison and instead focusing on what God has given us, we become content, because He’s given us so much when we’ve done nothing to deserve it.
When you see someone with immense gratitude, it can be awe-inspiring. When a stressed student praises the Lord after being given grace on a deadline, when a friend in need looks to Heaven after you give them a place to stay for a while… These moments make us also turn to God and want to thank Him for what’s been done in our lives.
And if you’re not a Christian, you might be thinking that every good thing comes from coincidence, and perhaps that could be possible.
I myself would struggle to believe that all the great stories being woven, all the families being knit together, all the people being in the right place and the right time… were not the work of an even greater author…
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you got to spend it with those you love!
Rachel Brei 