By F. D. Adkins
We are nearing Christmas at warp speed, but my heart is backtracking this week. I love Thanksgiving–preparing a gigantic meal, gathering with my family, and spending the day together. And yet, I feel the holiday slipping from our culture a little more every year. Not only are Christmas trees and trimmings erupting in the stores as soon as the Halloween costumes disappear, but the Black Friday sales that have been the day after Thanksgiving tradition for as long as I can remember are now popping up weeks before. So, today, as I reflect on how quickly Thanksgiving came and went, a recent Bible study reminds me that giving thanks is not a day of the year but every day of the year.
Jesus came to earth as God in human form. He was the only perfect person, the only man to live a sinless life. As believers who have accepted His sacrifice and His gift of salvation, we should aspire every day to be more like Him. 1 John 2:6 says, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (KJV). And if we follow His example, we give thanks—not just one day a year and not just one blessing at one meal.
Here are just a few examples of Jesus giving thanks.
- “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves.” Luke 22:17 KJV
- “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them,…” Luke 22:19 KJV
- “And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks…” Mark 8:6 KJV
- “…And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.” John 11:41 KJV
- “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Matthew 11:25 KJV
Thanksgiving is one day a year, but thanks giving is every day of the year. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV), “In every thing give thanks…”. So, on the good days, we should give thanks. On the bad days, we should give thanks. In the sunshine and the rain, on the mountain and in the valley, “In every thing”, we should give thanks. If Jesus gave thanks, we should too.
