by Pastor Victor Chen

During the Christmas season, much has been made about putting “Christ” back into “Christmas”. We make it a priority to actually remember the Lord rather than gifts, lights or fancy decorations.

However, we need to make it just as much a priority to remember the Lord during Thanksgiving. 

This time of the year has been overtaken with sales and deals (Black Friday comes early and isn’t even on Friday?) Thanksgiving can be more about family gatherings, food and being grateful in general (to whom it is not clear). 

But the whole purpose of the Thanksgiving holiday was to give thanks to the Lord. 

And though the community gathering of Pilgrims and Native Americans to give thanks to the Lord is not found in the Bible, the practice and exhortation to “give thanks to the Lord” is.

So just as we make it a point to say, “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”, let’s remember to reference “the Lord” when we give thanks. 

Instead of saying, “I’m thankful for …”, let’s say, “I’m thankful to the Lord for …”

Instead of saying, “Be thankful”, let’s say, “Be thankful to the Lord”.

Instead of saying, “Give thanks”, let’s say, “Give thanks to the Lord”.

We make it a point to remember all that we should be thankful for. Let’s just remember who the source of all blessings is and who we should be thankful to (lest we end up thanking ourselves!). 

For just as much as the Christmas season is an opportunity to point others to Christ, the Thanksgiving holiday is an opportunity to point others to the Lord. 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. 

He is good indeed.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever! -Psalm 118:1 (ESV)