Thanksgiving: More Than the Launch of the Christmas Holiday

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Whether you think of thanksgiving with a capital T [the holiday] or with a small T [the expression of gratitude], THANKSGIVING is much more than  the beginning of the Christmas season! In fact, it’s much more than the madness of “Black Friday.” 

Theologically, thanksgiving is a state of mind or a condition of the heart. It is an attitude or, better yet, a lifestyle. There are many, many Scriptures to substantiate my claim, and here are just a few of them:

• Psalm 100:4, 5 - we are to enter His gates with thanksgiving

• Colossians 2:7 - we are to be rooted, built up, strengthened in faith while overflowing in thanksgiving

• Colossians 3:17 - we are to do everything in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving

• Philippians 4:6 - we are to pray with thanksgiving

• Psalm 105:1, 2 - we are to call on His name, sing to Him, make His name known to the nations with thanksgiving

• 1st Thessalonians 5:18 - we are to give thanks in every circumstance of life 

By now you get the point, don’t you? The life of a Christ follower is saturated with thanksgiving. Why is that, you ask? Essentially, the Christ follower understands his/her great relief — knowing that their sin deserved death as a payment, which has been PAID IN FULL by a God who is rich in grace and mercy. 

A Christ follower has much to be thankful for; not the least of which is getting to serve and love, and be loved by God!