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Why thanksgiving? Lots of good reasons. Giving thanks to God brings Him glory, and it’s the purpose of the creature to enhance the glory of the Creator. Psalm 69: I will glorify Him with thanksgiving.
Why thanksgiving? Because gratitude is the proper response of the creature who receives so many good things from the Creator – and the Lord is constantly doing many good things for us. The Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.
Why thanksgiving? Because gratitude is endearing and ingratitude is alienating. For example, we know someone who needs help, and we go out of our way to help him in various ways, including financially. We don’t expect him to pay us back, but we do expect him to acknowledge our help and say “thank you” – but he never does. If that was me helping that guy? I would look for someone else to help.
The Lord feels the same way: Writing about the condition of the world after the flood, Paul wrote: They knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks … so God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. God doesn’t like ingratitude. It alienates the Creator from the creature.
And the opposite is true: Gratitude is endearing and brings us closer to the Lord. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Giving thanks and getting closer to God go together.
Why thanksgiving? It humbles us. Instead of being proud and thinking we are the source of the things we have and the things we have accomplished, expressing our gratitude to God reminds us that He is the source of all good things. Pride is replaced by humility when we understand that every good gift comes from God and we thank Him for His good gifts.
Why thanksgiving? Because expressing gratitude is an essential part of a life of faith and pleases God. 1 Thessalonians 5: In everything give thanks. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.
In everything give thanks doesn’t literally mean being thankful for everything – like the death of a child, or 1200 people being massacred on October 7th, or a serious illness or tragedy that happens to us or someone we love. In everything give thanks means being thankful in every situation.
We are to trust God’s sovereignty and goodness and thank Him even when our circumstances aren’t good. The Lord wants us to maintain an attitude of gratitude regardless of our circumstances.
Some examples: when things don’t go as we hoped – we lose a job or don’t get the promotion we wanted, or have a project that fails, or experience the end of a relationship that didn’t work out – it’s natural to feel discouraged. However, instead of being discouraged, upset, worried and angry, we can choose to be thankful for the support of friends and family during our time of difficulty.
God closes doors and He opens doors. What seems like a setback might be an opening for something better. So we can thank the Lord for new opportunities that might be a better fit for us.
We can express gratitude for the opportunity to trust God to provide for our needs and see His faithfulness in new ways.
Failure and disappointment can teach us lessons that can lead to growth and future success, so we can thank God for lessons we’ve learned.
Another example: we or someone we love is dealing with a serious illness or injury. When that happens, it’s natural to feel fear, anxiety, anger or sadness. However, we can still find reasons to be thankful. We can thank the Lord for good medical care, for access to doctors, for modern medicine that alleviates pain and helps with healing.
We can be grateful to the Lord that illness or injury may bring family and friends closer together, providing opportunities for meaningful conversations and support and comfort.
We can express gratitude that in times of illness and injury, we can get closer to God, learning to rely on Him for strength and comfort, and gain a deeper understanding of His presence in our lives.
Financial difficulties can be stressful and upsetting, but instead of being stressed and upset, we can thank God for providing for our needs – that we have a roof over our head, food to eat, and clothes to wear.
Financial challenges can help us reassess our priorities. Instead of pursuing material things – things that won’t last, financial hardship can cause us to pursue our relationship with God and our spiritual growth and our relationships with people. So, we can give thanks to God for an opportunity to focus on the things that really matter.
Often, in times of need, people experience unexpected blessings – whether it’s a friend helping out, or finding an unlooked for resource, or learning a new skill that will help in the future – so we can give thanks for God’s provision in unanticipated ways.
Parenting can be exhausting and overwhelming – especially when dealing with a difficult child. When parenting is difficult, we can thank God for the amazing privilege of producing a life made in the image of God and that we can help shape that life for God’s glory.
Even in a difficult season with a child, there are moments of connection – a shared laugh, a hug, a kind word, an accomplishment that can be acknowledged. These things bring joy to parent and child – so we can be thankful for these small joys.
Parental challenges can help us develop patience, empathy, and resilience, so we can express gratitude to God for using our children to improve our character.
Another example: Loneliness can be depressing, but there are ways to find things to thank God for in our loneliness.
Loneliness can give us the isolation we need to reflect on ourselves so that we can identify problem areas in our life and make improvements.
Many have found that in their loneliest moments, they become more aware of God’s reality, and His closeness, comfort and friendship.
Loneliness can motivate us to initiate new friendships or activities we hadn’t considered before – like getting more involved with the people of Shema and serving the Lord with us.
The weather can affect our mood. Some get depressed this time of the year because it’s cold, rainy, snowy, the days are short and the sky is gray and dreary for days at a time. Instead of giving in to depression, we can thank God that He designed our weather and has reasons for it.
We can express our gratitude to the Lord that while we spend more time inside, we can do things we might not ordinarily do – like make a fire in the fireplace and enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea, or cook or bake something extra special, or read a book, do a puzzle or play a game, or try something new like painting or calligraphy, or write a letter to a friend, or organize or declutter a space, or have more time to read the Bible and pray.
Even in everyday situations, there are opportunities to express our gratitude to God. For example, if we’re stuck in traffic, instead of getting frustrated and angry, we can thank the Lord that while many people can’t afford a car, we have one; we have a meaningful place to go to and return from; we have extra time to listen to music or a podcast, or pray, or call someone and encourage them or pray with them.
If you are given lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you scraps, make a quilt. Turn adversity into opportunity – especially with thanksgiving. In everything give thanks. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is a spiritual discipline that honors and pleases God and is good for us. Looking beyond our circumstances and seeing life through the eyes of faith, and trusting in the Lord’s goodness and His plan for us, and giving Him thanks – will transform how we experience the world. It will help us grow in faith. It will us more attractive and endearing. It will please and honor God.
Some final thoughts: Even if our circumstances are very bad – and for many Christians and Messianic Jews for the past 2,000 years, their circumstances have been very bad – there are so many wonderful things we can thank God for.
We can thank Him for the privilege of being created in His image, with the ability to think, speak, choose, learn, explore, design and build things, be creative and have a relationship with Him.
We can thank God that because of the life, death and resurrection of His Son, we can be reconciled to God, forgiven, redeemed from the dominion of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light.
We can express gratitude that we are born again and have a new, divine nature that is compatible with God and wants to please Him.
We can be thankful that God’s Spirit lives in us, transforms us, guides us, teaches us, and empowers us for God-honoring living.
We can give thanks for God’s divinely inspired Word that brings joy to our hearts, revives us when we are weary, strengthens us when we are weak, comforts us when we are afflicted.
We can give thanks for the Gospel – that it’s the truth, that it’s a message that inspires, that it’s a message worth living for, suffering for and dying for; that it’s a message worth proclaiming.
We can be thankful for the members of Messiah’s Community, who are there for us, willing to help us, teach us, willing to encourage us.
We can be thankful that no matter how awful things are, Heaven is real, and we are God’s beloved sons and daughters and heirs, that we will live with Him, enjoying our great and eternal inheritance, and that the sufferings of this life are insignificant compared to the eternal glory that awaits us.