Greg's Notes

How to Have a Happy Thanksgiving

1 Corinthians 11 / Psalm 100
Series:

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. It doesn’t commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday or anniversary. It’s a day set aside with the specific purpose of giving thanks to God Almighty. Don’t believe what the revisionists tell you. Many of our founding fathers were very committed Christians. They had a respect for God and they understood that God gave us this great nation. So a day was set apart to give thanks to the Lord. Here are some Thanksgiving principles to think about.

Practical Principles

  1. Sometimes it is a sacrifice to bring my praise to God, but I should do so anyway. There are times I don’t want to shout praise to the Lord. I might be more in the mood to shout my complaints at God. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
  2. Serve the Lord with gladness. Every Christian is called to service, not just pastors, evangelists, or missionaries. We all have a part to play.
  3. You’re a sheep, so follow your Shepherd. The Bible says that He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. It is God Almighty who made you. It is God Almighty who sustains you. Everything you have, every breath, every beat of your heart is a gift from God. So follow Him.
  4. We should be an active part of the church. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

Relevant Reminders

  • Giving thanks and praise and worship is something we do together as well as individually.
  • God has given each of us spiritual gifts and talents that we can put to use in serving the church.
  • We should serve the Lord gladly, with joy.

Applicable Actions

You can give thanks because God loves you. You can give thanks because God is in control of your life. You can give thanks because God is good. You can give thanks because ultimately He will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. You don’t see the end yet, but you can still give thanks because God does see the end and ultimately it’s going to be good.