Written by Aaron Miller | Pastor of Equipping
There is something special about Thanksgiving. Every year, around this time, we are reminded to pause and consider all we are thankful for. We gather with family and friends, share a meal, and perhaps take a few moments to reflect on God's goodness to us. But do we truly understand what it means to be thankful? If we're not careful, Thanksgiving can become little more than an exercise in counting our blessings. We look around at our circumstances, consider what's going well, and conclude we have plenty of reasons to give thanks. And certainly, we do, but what happens when life isn't going well? What happens when life is difficult, relationships are strained, our health is failing, or the future seems uncertain? Does our thanksgiving diminish when our circumstances change?
“Our thanksgiving is rooted in God's character, the certainty of his promises, and the grace he has shown us in Jesus Christ.”
This is where Scripture shapes our understanding of gratitude. Biblical thanksgiving is not merely a response to favorable circumstances. It is the response of a heart that recognizes God and his works. We have reasons to give thanks that extend far beyond the circumstances of this life. Our thanksgiving is rooted in God's character, the certainty of his promises, and the grace he has shown us in Jesus Christ. In fact, when we open the Scriptures, we discover something remarkable: thanksgiving isn't merely something God calls us to practice on earth. It is one of heaven's great activities.
Thanksgiving Begins with Recognizing God
In Romans 1, the apostle Paul describes humanity's corruption in its rebellion against God. Among the many things he identifies, one might surprise us. Romans 1:21 says, "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him." A fundamental expression of humanity's rebellion against God is refusing to give him thanks. Thanksgiving acknowledges our relationship with God. It recognizes that we are dependent creatures and that he is the gracious Creator and Sustainer of all things. When we give thanks to God, we acknowledge that everything we have ultimately comes from him. James 1:17 reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights. Paul declares in Romans 11:36, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
Ingratitude is not merely a failure to appreciate what we have. At its deepest level, it is a failure to recognize the One from whom all things come. Isn't that the temptation in our own hearts? We can become so accustomed to God's goodness that we no longer recognize it. We wake each morning, assuming another day is ours. We enjoy relationships, opportunities, provisions, and countless mercies without pausing to consider the God who graciously sustains them all. And slowly, almost without realizing it, we begin to live as though these things are ours by right rather than as gifts of grace. But we who are in Christ understand differently. We are not entitled to God's goodness. We are recipients of his grace. The clearer we understand that, the more naturally thanksgiving ought to flow from our hearts.
Thanksgiving Is the Fruit of Redemption
For the Christ-follower, thanksgiving isn't merely acknowledging that God has created and sustained us. It is the joyful response of one who has been redeemed. Listen to the language of Colossians 3:15-17:
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Notice how thoroughly thanksgiving is woven into the Christian life. Paul doesn't present gratitude as an occasional spiritual exercise. He describes it as something that should characterize our relationships, worship, words, and actions. Notice where it originates. The peace of Christ rules our hearts. The Word of Christ dwells richly within us. Through Jesus Christ, we give thanks to the Father. In other words, thanksgiving flows from our relationship with Christ.
The more we understand God's grace in the gospel, the more reasons we have to give thanks, which is why Christians can be thankful even amid suffering. Not because suffering is pleasant. Not because disappointment doesn't hurt. And certainly not because we pretend life's difficulties aren't real. But the greatest gift God has given us cannot be taken away. We have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Our sins have been forgiven, and we have been adopted into his family. We have been given an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Whatever circumstances we face today, those realities remain unchanged.
Thanksgiving Is the Worship of Heaven
The book of Revelation offers us glimpses of heaven's worship. One striking feature of that worship is its repeated expression of thanksgiving. In Revelation 4:9, the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne. In Revelation 7:12, the angels declare: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." And in Revelation 11:17, the twenty-four elders give thanks to the Lord God Almighty because he has taken his great power and begun to reign. Heaven is filled with worshipers who continually acknowledge God's greatness, goodness, and glory. Their thanksgiving never ends.
As the living creatures worship, the twenty-four elders fall before the One seated on the throne and cast their crowns before him. It's a beautiful picture of worship continually directed toward God. When we gather as God's people to worship, sing his praises, bow our heads in prayer, and give thanks for his mercy and grace, we join the worship already taking place in heaven. We're not starting something new. We're participating, even now, in what will endure forever. One day, our thanksgiving will no longer be marred by the distractions, weaknesses, and struggles of this life. One day, we will see our Savior face to face. We will understand his goodness with a clarity we cannot now. And our response will be worship.
Learning to Give Thanks Today
So what does all of this mean for us as we approach Thanksgiving? It means we ought to be intentional about cultivating grateful hearts, not simply by making a list of the things we appreciate, though that's certainly worthwhile, but by learning to recognize God's goodness in all things. We need to ask the Lord to open our eyes to his gracious activity in our lives.
“When we gather as God's people to worship, sing his praises, bow our heads in prayer, and give thanks for his mercy and grace, we join the worship already taking place in heaven.”
And perhaps most importantly, we need to remember that our thanksgiving should not rise and fall with our circumstances. Some of us are entering this Thanksgiving season with tremendous joy, while others are carrying burdens that very few people know about. But wherever we find ourselves, we have reason to give thanks because God is good. His Word is true, his promises are certain, and his grace toward us in Jesus Christ exceeds what we could ever deserve.
As you gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, do more than merely acknowledge the blessings you've received. Lift your eyes to the One who has bestowed them. Remember that every expression of thanksgiving offered to God on earth is a small anticipation of the worship we will one day enjoy in his presence forever. Thanksgiving is not merely something we do because life is good. We give thanks because God is good. And his goodness will never end.