3 Ways to Make Sure Our Gobble is Not Ungrateful
By Karen Friday
“The pilgrims came here seeking freedom of you know what. When they landed, they gave thanks to you know who. Because of them, we can worship each Sunday you know where.”
A fourth grader’s report on the first Thanksgiving when the classroom teacher requested students make no reference to God. (Source unknown.)
- Finding and Keeping God in Thanksgiving
We are disturbed about Christmas devoid of God. What about the holiday before the birth of Christ? Are we celebrating more than pilgrims and turkey?
A summary of “gobble” definitions from Google and dictionary.com include:
- Eat something hurriedly, quickly, greedily.
- To seize upon eagerly, hastily.
Some definitions cite to eat noisily. (That’s another article on etiquette, but try not to do this at the Thanksgiving table.)
“To gobble” paints the picture of an action without reflection beforehand. No careful consideration of what is being devoured or gratefulness of where the means is derived. Thankfulness is lacking for the provision of the gobbled item.
James 1:17 states “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (ESV, emphasis added).
All things come from God’s hand. He’s in Thanksgiving when He’s in our heart. To be thankful is about Him.
- A Thankful Heart
To give thanks—maybe like the first Thanksgiving—we are grateful for our “haves” without begrudging our “have-nots.” A thankful heart for the place we have landed (whatever it looks like for each of us).
Thanksgiving for the cornucopia of many blessings received and yet to be given from our Maker. The abundant provision of necessities and freedoms.
Ample cynicism is seen in our culture and world…perhaps in us. There is a lot of ungrateful gobbling going on. We can rise above the negativity for this fact; we have plenty to be thankful for.
Let us not lose sight of giving thanks for freedoms—no matter how those freedoms are threatened. Ultimately, we are free in Christ. “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36 NLT).
We join the fight for freedom in our nation and world, but absolutely no one can take spiritual freedom away from us. If it’s from the One. Truly free is truly free. Period.
In regards to a positive outcome in our personal circumstances and those in our world, we often speak a sign of relief by, “Thank goodness” or “Thank God.”
Thanksgiving…real thanksgiving in our hearts, is grateful more than one day a year. Continually
grateful. Not just as a relief that something turned out good in the end. But thanking God, that in the end, we understand all good things come from Him. He is still God and He is still good—no matter what happens.
- A Generous People
Grateful people are generous people. Generous people are grateful people.
Before gobbling up a turkey leg or piece of pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, contemplate the fullness in our lives because of a generous God. Then consider how we show ourselves to be generous people. What does grateful look like in daily life? In our communities and world?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV, emphasis added). God loved and then He gave because He’s a generous God. Because of Christ in us, we can love and then give and be a generous people.
This Thanksgiving season, thank God in fullness. Fullness of stomach, life, love, family, freedoms, and Christ. Thank God for the cross of Calvary and the blood of Jesus that will never lose its power!
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5 AMP.)
Author bio: Karen Friday is a pastor’s wife and lover of words through writing, blogging, and speaking. She has published a number of articles and devotions in both print and online media. Her writing connects family experiences, Christian ministry, and real life scenarios to the timeless truths of scripture. Karen earned a Communications Degree and has marketing experience in a broad spectrum of business services where she is frequently referred to as “Girl Friday.” Karen and her husband have two grown children. The entire family is fond of the expression, “TGIF: Thank God it’s Friday!” They owe Monday an apology.