Thanksgiving is a beloved American holiday that provides an opportunity for family and friends to come together, reflect on blessings, and feast on delicious food. For Christians, it can also be a time to focus on cultivating an attitude of gratitude and remembering God’s abundant provision.
The Bible has much to say about giving thanks and encourages believers to have a heart of gratitude in all circumstances. Here are some biblical focuses for Christians during the Thanksgiving holiday:
1. Give thanks to God
Most fundamentally, Thanksgiving provides Christians an opportunity to express gratitude and praise to God. 1 Chronicles 16:8 instructs, “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!” Every blessing comes from God’s hand – our relationships, provisions, talents, and lives. Thanksgiving ushers our hearts to recognize the Source of all good things (James 1:17).
Christians can follow the example of Jesus, who gave thanks before miracles (John 6:11) and in the midst of trials (Luke 22:17-19). Believers should praise God for spiritual blessings like salvation, God’s faithfulness, and growth in Christ. Gratitude should also be expressed for material provisions – safety, food, shelter, health, relationships, and possessions. Thanksgiving grounds Christians in God-centered gratitude amidst the busyness of life.
2. Share with others in need
In addition to vertical worship to God, the Bible also emphasizes horizontal generosity to others. The Thanksgiving season coincides with fall harvest festivals in the Old Testament that entailed celebrating God’s provision together with feasts and offerings for the poor (Exodus 23:16, Deuteronomy 16:13-15). Early American Thanksgivings similarly included food donations to Native American tribes and the disadvantaged. The communal ethic of Thanksgiving reflects the biblical emphasis on compassionately caring for those in need.
Scripture repeatedly instructs believers to be generous and share with the poor, widowed, orphaned, imprisoned, and hungry (Galatians 2:10, James 1:27, Isaiah 58:7, Proverbs 22:9). As Christians gather food, family, and fellowship during Thanksgiving, it is important they not forget the lonely, hungry, and hurting. Tangibly sharing meals, snacks, resources, and kindness can be a special way to reflect Christ’s love during this holiday. Outreach to the needy transforms Thanksgiving into deeper gratitude and worship.
3. Pursue unity and reconciliation
Thanksgiving began as a celebration of cooperation between Native Americans and European colonists. Its emphasis on shared blessings and overcoming differences aligns with biblical commands to pursue peace, forgiveness, and unity within the church.
Scripture charges believers to live in harmony with one another, patiently bearing with one another and forgiving grievances (Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:13). Bringing believers together despite differences was the passion of Jesus, who prayed for oneness among Christians (John 17:21-23). The Thanksgiving table can provide a helpful object lesson – as diverse dishes come together into one meal, so Christians are united as members of Christ’s one body (1 Corinthians 12:12).
The Thanksgiving season is an opportunity for reconciliation and healing of relational rifts. Believers must examine their hearts, forgive grievances, pursue reconciliation, and recommit to loving one another as Jesus loved (John 13:34). Maintaining gospel unity brings joy and glorifies God.
4. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude
While Thanksgiving Day focuses gratitude, Scripture commands Christians to maintain ongoing thankful hearts and lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 instructs believers to “give thanks in all circumstances.” God deserves praise not just during holiday feasts but through daily gratitude that motivates obedience.
Cultivating gratitude requires persistent reflection on blessings to see life through a lens of abundance rather than deprivation (Philippians 4:11-13, Luke 12:15). Gratitude helps believers glorify God, resist covetousness, battle entitlement, and trust God’s provision in all things. Thanksgiving can be a catalyst for meditating on reasons for praise so that thanksgiving becomes a default posture of the Christian life.
5. Remember God’s promises and past faithfulness
Remembering the past is a key aspect of thanksgiving. The Bible exhorts God’s people to regularly recall and declare His wondrous works across generations (Psalm 145:4-7). The Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, for example, facilitated remembrance of God’s faithfulness during Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Leviticus 23:42-43). Thanksgiving similarly provides an annual marker for Christians to reflect on ways God has personally sustained them.
Remembering strengthens faith in God’s promises and character. Christians can be encouraged that the God who helped them before remains able to provide, guide, and protect. Thanksgiving ushers believers into God’s presence where they experience identity affirmation, renewed hope, and strengthened trust for the future (Psalm 77:11-15). Living in grateful remembrance is an antidote to anxiety, entitlement, and discouragement.
6. Enjoy godly feasting and celebration
In addition to focused worship, the Bible portrays holidays as times of festive rejoicing, dancing, and feasting (Deuteronomy 16:14-15). Ecclesiastes encourages simple pleasure and enjoyment of God’s gifts (Ecclesiastes 3:13). Jesus’ first miracle occurred at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). Deprivation and asceticism are not biblical virtues; feasting and celebration are appropriate on occasion.
For Christians, Thanksgiving can be a time to enjoy the blessings of food, family, and rest without guilt. Believers should balance holiday indulgence with moderation and self-control, being careful not to make idols out of created things. But godly feasting can reflect God’s abundant provision and the joyous benefits of life in Christ.
7. Testify to God’s goodness
As believers reflect on God’s blessings, Thanksgiving becomes an opportunity to testify and proclaim His goodness. Christians follow the model of the Psalmist who declared, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips” (Psalm 34:1). Similarly, Paul charges believers, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Christians’ lives and lips should overflow with thanksgiving and praise. Believers can share testimonies during Thanksgiving meals of how God has tangibly sustained them. Gratitude is a powerful witness that God is loving, faithful, and intimately involved in our lives. Thanksgiving provides a platform for Christians to creatively bless and point others to the Source of all goodness.
Thanksgiving is much more than a holiday for abundant food and football. For Christians seeking to deepen gratitude and worship, the Bible provides rich insights about thanking God, generosity, reconciliation, remembering God’s faithfulness, enjoying His gifts, and proclaiming His goodness. Approaching Thanksgiving through a biblical lens transforms the day into sacred time of reflecting on and responding to divine blessings.