Thankfulness: Thanksgiving as Described in Scripture

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and that probably has a lot to do with how much I love food. However there is something deeper... sweeter about this time. This is a time where everyone becomes intentional to take account of how much they have to be thankful for even if the circumstances seem dire. As believers, we are called to this intentionality year-round. It is a pivotal part of our walk with Christ.

Scripture mentions the concept of being thankful over 150 times. Let's dig into a few of them, and then we will dive into how Jesus exemplified an attitude of gratitude.

Scriptures

• About being thankful for Who God is - Psalm 136:1

• About being thankful for His deliverance - Psalm 30:4-5, 11-12

• About being thankful in the midst of hardship - Psalm 28:6-7, Job 1:21

• About thankfulness that leads to worship - Hebrews 12:28

Jesus Our Example

Jesus Himself is shown giving thanks four times in the Bible.

In Luke 10 & Matthew 11, Jesus gives thanks for those who God revealed the truth to after He lets out frustration for the unrepentant cities. This shows us that even when it seems that there is nothing but opposition in the world, we can be thankful for how the Spirit is moving.

In the Gospels, Jesus gives thanks before His prayers are answered. First when He prayed before feeding the 5,000 (Matthew 15:36, Mark 8:6, John 6:11) and then when He prayed to raise Lazarus from the grave (John 11:41-42). Jesus had no doubt that the Father would answer and so He thanked Him as He prayed.

We don't have to wait for the miracle to start thanking and praising.

Lastly, we see Jesus giving thanks at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19-20). Only hours away from the cruelest betrayal and most painful death, Jesus gave thanks. Although from our perspective everything would seem dark and hopeless at a time like that, Jesus knew that He had accomplished what He came to do, and it was time to finish the mission, so He was thankful.

We are called to live like Jesus (1 John 2:6). This applies to every area of our lives, including being thankful. As we study scripture, Old Testament and New, we see how much freedom Jesus gifted us by going to the Cross. That alone is worthy of daily thankfulness and praise.

I challenge every one of us to continue in a mindset of thankfulness beyond this holiday season and build it as a daily habit.

God bless!