THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS

Have you ever thought about the benefits of American Thanksgiving and Christmas being about a month apart? Mostly, it seems inconvenient. A lot of prep work and time goes into Thanksgiving and then we have to do it again but with gifts and even more expectations a few weeks later. Wouldn’t it be nice to spread out those holidays? There are lots of factual reasons they are back to back, but this year I had a few thoughts about the benefits of these holidays being back to back. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has thought of this, but sometimes it’s nice to hear things more than once.

Thanksgiving when done right is obviously a season of giving thanks. The first few weeks in November, people will share things for which they are grateful in anticipation of seeing family and friends over the holiday. People tend to be a bit more reflective and appreciative of the good things they have in life. It’s a great time to take stock. Then, on Thanksgiving, we have the option to spend the day thanking people who have impacted our lives. As Christians, when we start to look around and see all the blessings in our lives, it is obvious who we need to thank the most: God.

Reflecting on what we have to be thankful for leads us to God. Are we really deserving of the good things we have? Yes, there are natural consequences to our actions and life is complex. If we work hard at our job, we will usually see rewards. If we listen to the wisdom of those around us, we can be greatly impacted for good by people in our lives. But who is ultimately in control, weaving the fabric of our lives to intertwine? God. James 1:17 tells us, “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.” Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God is at the center of it all. And there is nothing we can do to deserve any of the blessings He gives. He is not just sovereign, but wise, holy, righteous, all-powerful, and sustains and provides for us better than anyone ever could.

Thanking God invokes humility in our lives. Who are we compared to the great God of the universe? We cannot save ourselves. We cannot truly satisfy ourselves with earthly things. We are not really in control. We can’t make it stop raining. There is really very little power that I have with my free will. I am responsible for my actions, but God literally is at work (not in a robot control sort of way) no matter what I do! My response to God’s greatness must be Job’s “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth” (Job 40:4).

When we are humbled, we turn to praising God for who He is and what He has done. Which leads us to Christmas. What better time to worship and praise God than during this joyous season to celebrate salvation come to man? Though we are brought low by sin, God had a plan all along to provide a way for us to be lifted up through Christ. The plan long promised entered a new epoch at the Incarnation. God became flesh. Praise be to God for His indescribable gift!

Don’t stop Thanksgiving on Black Friday. Live a life of thankfulness that leads to humility which causes us to praise the great God we serve. Thanksgiving sets the stage perfectly for Christmas. Christ was humbled that we might be saved. We must humble ourselves and accept His salvation. And our lifelong response is praise and thankfulness.

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