Many Christians are surprised to learn how much of the original concept of Thanksgiving was spiritual, as well as how many Bible stories echo the need for thanksgiving-type celebrations.
From family and friends decked out in autumn hues gathered around the table, to a hearty spread of roasted turkey, pumpkin pies, and mashed potatoes galore, the American holiday known as Thanksgiving is often a great excuse for a party.
But there’s a deeper meaning to the festivities, one of unity and gratitude. And for Christians, there are a number of ways Thanksgiving ties in with faith in God and acknowledgments of the many blessings God bestows.
Here are seven ways to uncover a Christian meaning in Thanksgiving:
What Is Thanksgiving Really About?
I was taught as a young child in school that the first Thanksgiving was an exercise in relationship-building, when indigenous people native to what is today Massachusetts gathered with pilgrim settlers who had come from across the ocean seeking refuge. I thought the gathering was about the pilgrims thanking the Native Americans for teaching them so many important ways to survive in this land.
But the feast was far more than this. History tells us the pilgrims, ignorant of this new land and which crops to grow, had endured a bitter first winter of illness and near-starvation. But between grain swapped through an unexpected trading ship and the kindness of the natives, who taught them how to grow food and establish an alliance with another local tribe, God provided. After their first successful harvest, Gov. William Bradford organized a celebration and invited native allies to join. For three days, they devoted themselves to feasting, prayer and gratitude to the Lord who had provided for them all.
The celebration continued each year, and in 1863, President Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Usually the holiday involved a fast and prayer followed by a grand feast in celebration of the harvest and in thanks to the abundant blessings provided by God.
Over the years, the holiday became less religious and more secular, with a focus on family, turkey, parades, football games, and other festivities, including a number of “turkey day” races.
How Can We Uncover Thanksgiving’s Christian Meaning?
Many Christians are surprised to learn how much of the original concept of Thanksgiving was spiritual, as well as how many Bible stories echo the need for thanksgiving-type celebrations among the people when they can express gratitude and humility for all they have.
The first step is taking a look at the spiritual aspects of the holiday as a whole, and the ideas evolve from there.
In the Bible the Hebrew word todah, originating from the Hebrew yadah, expresses our concept of thanksgiving, both the act and the meaning behind the holiday. Todah refers to the giving of thanks, including confession, hymns, praise, and other offerings. Yadah further means to cast or throw down, or confess, a posture of humility acknowledging the Lord God Almighty as sovereign over all. The Greek word is eucharistéo, meaning to be grateful or to express gratitude.
For example, Psalm 107:1 urges us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” and verse 22 tells us to “sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1. Look to God First
The most important thing we can to do uncover a Christian meaning in Thanksgiving is to look first to the Lord. God is the source of all things: life, land, and all that sustains us. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus constantly pointed to the Father and publicly expressed thanks for God’s provision and care. He gave thanks before he fed the multitudes in John 6:11, Matthew 15:36 and Mark 8:6. When he cried before God and then raised Lazarus from the dead, he thanked God for hearing him. “’I knew that you always hear me,’ Jesus said, ‘but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me’” (John 11:41-42).
When God chose to reveal his glory to little children rather than the wise and learned, Jesus also thanked him, saying, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do” (Matthew 11:25-26).
God is at the root of everything we experience. When good things happen, they happen because God provided for our needs. When bad things happen, we know God walks beside us and ultimately causes good things to happen from these situations.
Psalm 9:1, a psalm of David, proclaims, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
2. Focus on Gratitude
Focusing on gratitude is another critical thing we can do to uncover a Christian meaning in Thanksgiving. When times are difficult and we experience illness, death, poverty, or oppression, sometimes it’s hard to count our blessings.
But Psalm 136:1 tells us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” And James 1:17 reminds us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Even amid difficulty, train your mind to notice good things and be appreciative. Express your gratitude aloud, or make a list. In my family, we create a gratitude pumpkin each year and write on the pumpkin the many things we are thankful for, from our pets and our health to a simple s’mores night around the campfire.
You can do something similar in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving or even as part of the day’s Thanksgiving celebration. Consider placing a large pumpkin on the table at your Thanksgiving meal and asking each guest to list things to thank God for upon it.
3. Read Thanksgiving Stories in the Bible
Sometimes it can be helpful to read about the way God’s people thanked God throughout history, even during times of trouble. For instance, Deuteronomy 26:1-19 describes the Israelites’ first Thanksgiving in the Promised Land. The prophet Jonah gave thanks to the Lord in the belly of a whale after he realized he couldn’t escape from God’s commands (Jonah 2:8-9). The apostle Paul gave thanks to God in the middle of a storm, just before their shipwreck (Acts 27:35). During the Last Supper, Jesus thanked God three times for the bread and wine, which represented his body sacrificially broken and his blood spilled out for us all (Luke 22:15-20).
Reading these stories helps us understand how good and right it is to express thanks to the Lord for taking care of us in spite of the many ways we go astray.
4. Sing Songs of Grace and Thanksgiving to God
The Bible tells us over and over how much God loves singing. Psalm 7:17 talks about how the psalmist will “sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalm 100:1-3 urges, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
Hebrews 13:15 tells us to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”
And Colossians 3:16 says we are to “let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
We can sing songs today as well. While carols and festive songs are popular at Christmastime, sometimes we forget there are thanksgiving songs, too — hymns of gratitude, modern-day anthems of praise and thankfulness, and Holy Spirit-inspired songs that burst from our lips even with no musical accompaniment at all.
Singing is a great way, both individually and as a group, to thank God.
5. Pray
The Bible is chock-full of examples of people lifting hearts, minds, and souls to Father God. “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign,” the Bible tells us in Revelation 11:17.
Philippians 4:6 urges us not to be anxious but, instead, “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Giving thanks through prayer is so important. Prayer is intended to be conversation with God, not a list of requests. Part of that conversation should be understanding God’s goodness and expressing gratitude for this. We’re not owed anything by God. We don’t deserve the blessings we experience. These are gifts. Thanking God helps us remember this.
6. Serve Others
Serving others is another thing we can do to uncover the Christian meaning in Thanksgiving.
In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus tells us the two greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul and, second, to love our neighbor as yourself. “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” he says.
Loving others is a way of loving God. We cannot do anything to earn God’s love, but we can show our appreciation by loving others generously and extravagantly, like the good Samaritan cared for the wounded stranger in Luke 25:25-37.
Many people choose to serve others on Thanksgiving, whether that means cooking a meal for family and friends or helping to host a community Thanksgiving, providing a free meal and other items, such as coats, warm clothing, or services, in the name of Jesus.
When we meditate on the blessings God has given us and feel thankful, we often overflow that gratitude upon others.
7. Honor Relationships
A final thing we can do to uncover the Christian meaning in Thanksgiving is to obey God by following his commandments. In Exodus 20:12, he commands us, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Today, many of us have difficult, tense, or even estranged relationships with our family members, including our parents. Perhaps our parents wronged us in deep, cutting, painful ways. Getting together with them for a holiday meal might seem like the last thing we wish to do.
But choosing to honor our parents is important to the Lord. So is forgiving others.
Ephesians 4:32 urges us to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
This is an example of true thankfulness in our heart: understanding how generous a gift it is that we wretched, undeserving sinners are forgiven, and in our gratitude, bestowing that same forgiveness and agape love onto others in the same manner.
It’s fine to enjoy turkey, football games, parades, and other secular activities on Thanksgiving. But be sure to seek the deeper, Christ-centered meaning in the holiday. It will bless you beyond measure.
For more, read: Powerful Thanksgiving Prayers and Blessings to Inspire Gratitude This Year and 50 Thanksgiving Bible Verse for Gratitude and Praise
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