Today is Thanksgiving. A day of feasting, football, and loads of fun….which leads to some epic napping. Anytime we greet a day we should do so with scripture and today I feel that we need to hear from the Apostle Paul.
Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I have so many great memories of thanksgiving days growing up. Playing football in my grandparents front yard with my family, there is nothing like trash talking with your family on the day we give thanks. The food that we shared together: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, broccoli cheese casserole, and many more. Of course we can’t forget football, that would be very unlike us.
The most treasured memories that I have of this day are of family, friends, and the love that we share in our Lord Jesus Christ. Today is not about food, its not about football, its about gratitude. In this passage we find the Apostle Paul encouraging us to do three things all the time. To rejoice, to pray, and yes to give thanks. What is especially obvious to us is the way he instructs us to give thanks. Give thanks in every situation, that is where it gets interesting and hard.
We have innumerable situations that we find ourselves in, and these situations may cause us to be joyful, frustrated, and even others that bring us pain. Today may be a tender day for you because there are empty seats where someone we loved once sat, and that is sad because they are not with us physically. I won’t get to give my grandmother a hug on thanksgiving again until I meet her in eternal rest and that wears on me, but thanksgiving is about recognizing that we have more than we did yesterday and that those people made us better. Put simply: Our lives our better for simply knowing them.
As I write this I am listening to Kari Jobe’s song, “I know you are for me” and may be that is the best way for us to express what thanksgiving and thanksliving is all about. It’s about recognizing that no matter the situation we find ourselves in God is for us. He is working for good in your life and in my life, always. So, in response to the goodness and love that God is literally breathing into your life.
Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
May you experience the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ today and may you not just hold that in, but share it, because this love and this grace is meant and created to be shared with all.
Happy Thanksgiving!