To really experience Thanksgiving, more is required than a big dinner with family and close friends. I am not criticizing Thanksgiving dinner; I think it has a great symbolic meaning in our culture and I enjoy it. But the dinner is only one ingredient to a full thanksgiving experience.
I refer you to Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
This truth says to me that a real Thanksgiving Day will be the end of complaining, comparing, and coveting for all of us.
Some folks always find something to complain about: they can give out complaints quicker than they can give thanks for their blessings. Others don’t seem to be able to appreciate God’s bounty in their lives because they are constantly comparing what “they have” with what “others have”, usually ignoring the fact that they have more stuff now than they ever had before.
There is yet another group that won’t be thankful because they covet what others have. Whatever someone else has they feel they must have to be happy. As a result, they never have enough, including enough to fully appreciate a time for Thanksgiving.
The Bible instructs us to enjoy what we have and use it well. If we “need” anything else, we should talk to God about what we truly “need”, not just some material thing or gimmick that we saw someone else buy.
Regretfully, the three “C’s” (complaining, comparing, coveting) I mentioned often go to church services to make sure the worshipper doesn’t have a meaningful time praising the Lord. You still have 2 days to work on your spiritual preparations for Thanksgiving Day.
“Work in us, Lord, in such a way that we can have a complete Thanksgiving
experience of gratitude for every spiritual, physical, and emotional gift. Amen”
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