Pastor Jacky Duncan writes Christian articles for a local newspaper. These articles boldly confront some of the tough issues facing the modern church. Click on The Paper Pulpit Series link to view articles online or order reprints of these thought-provoking and often controversial articles. Below is a past article. For the latest article click here.
How Do You Celebrate Thanksgiving?
As Americans, we celebrate numerous holidays throughout the year. Some of them were meant to have Jesus as the object of celebration, but most are only secular. Either way, all holidays celebrate something. The big three that are supposed to be God-centered are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
To mature as Christians requires that we regularly examine the things we do to see in what areas we need to grow. With Thanksgiving approaching, it is an appropriate time to give some thought to our plans.
Here are a few questions you might ask yourself. To answer honestly you must give some serious thought to these questions.
Regarding my past Thanksgiving celebrations, did I honestly make it a day of thanksgiving to God? How much, if any, were my thoughts on God? What was my focus on? What was the main event? Did the main event focus on or honor God? What was different about Thanksgiving Day as compared with other days?
It’s very easy just to let the day happen without ever giving much thought to God at all. I would say that in most families the meal is probably the main event. This is true of most events, especially here in the South. It’s where the majority of time is spent and is what everyone looks forward to. But if we call the day “Thanksgiving,” should the majority of our attention be on food?
As Christians, we really should have a grateful heart that expresses thanks to God every day. But in America, most of us take God and all His blessings for granted. That being the case, it’s a sad thing indeed that the one day a year we set aside to show our gratitude to God is so often focused on self. We can squander the whole day and feel guiltless—so long as we offer a quick prayer at mealtime.
Do you find your Thanksgiving full of arguing or complaining about what food is served, what time the meal is, or who is invited? How hard is it to get your family together due to other interests such as football, hunting, work, or shopping? These things are not inherently bad. But have they become the focus of your Thanksgiving Day? Do they take up the largest chunks of time?
For many people, Thanksgiving Day is the complete opposite of showing gratitude to God. Rather than focusing on a heart of gratitude and finding ways to express it, they focus on self-indulgence. Whether it is food, TV, sports, napping, or materialism, the holiday is about self, not God. In what way do you express gratitude to God on Thanksgiving Day?
Jesus taught a parable concerning the various responses people have to the hearing of the Word of God. In this parable, a farmer was sowing his seed. The seed fell on four types of soil, each having a different outcome. Jesus explained that the seed represented the Word of God and the four soils represented the hearts of those who hear the Word. In Mark 4, verse 7, Jesus described the third soil this way: “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.” And in Mark 4:18-19, Jesus explains the meaning of this third soil: “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
The lives of most church-going Americans are full of “worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things.” This is especially true around holidays. Many well-meaning people go to church regularly and even maintain some level of private prayer and Bible reading. But far too often, these same people allow these three “thorns” to choke out the Word they are planting in their hearts.
How often do you dwell on the problems and concerns of your life? Are you frequently stressed over the things going on in your life? Have Thanksgiving and other holidays become sources of worry or stress for you? Do you often find yourself thinking that if you just had a little more money, things would be different? How often does “the desires for other things” take your thoughts and time away from God?
The Word frequently admonishes us to be thankful, diligent in prayer, and not to worry. We find all three of these in Philippians 4:6. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In this verse, God gives us the answer to our busy lives and all its problems—prayer. Those who do not allow “the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things” to keep them from a genuine relationship with God will experience His peace. When they have sincerely made their requests to God, they are at rest in His sovereignty. Come what may, they are content. Can you honestly say that you know this peace?
If we are honest when we look into the mirror, we may not like what we see, but it is necessary if we want to be genuine and not hypocrites. The good news is that feeling the pain means there is hope. When God reveals our sin, it is a sign that He is offering to remove it.
If you’ve failed in properly celebrating Thanksgiving before, take action now to see that you don’t make the same mistake this year. Make a deliberate effort to keep God at the center of all your celebrations. For this to work, He must be the center of your life every day.
