Unthankful on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is supposed to be a wonderful holiday where we can all reflect on the many things we're thankful for. I have personally found the holiday to be mostly enjoyable. I like to visit with my family. I like to cook. I enjoy conversation. But not everyone looks forward to the holiday season. It can be difficult to focus on thankfulness if you're fighting a terminal illness, have lost a loved one, or have been rejected by a spouse. Sometimes family get-togethers are not very enjoyable because the family does not get along.
So what do you do if you find yourself quite unthankful on Thanksgiving?
For those dealing with difficult family situations, you can choose to focus on others who are in need. We often forget how very blessed we are to live in a developed country. Even if you are exceedingly poor, typically you still have access to hospitals, education, and food. That can not be said about most places in the world. Did your spouse leave you? Does your family insist on arguing over Thanksgiving dinner? There is no rule that says you must endure an uncomfortable dinner with unthankful company. Instead, you can take yourself elsewhere and serve a Thanksgiving meal to those in need. There are many missions and food pantries who are busy on Thanksgiving Day and often need more help than they can get. When we find ourselves in difficult situations, and our heart is wounded, we can remind ourselves of the great blessings God has given us and use our gifts to serve others.
But what if you are gravely ill or are grieving the loss of a loved one? How does a person make their heart feel joy when it is blanketed in pain? For this, there is only one answer. The only comfort we can find in death is Jesus. I know someday I will die. It is the destiny for all of us, and honestly, I'm not looking forward to it. Even though we experience great pain in this world, it still feels like it is my home. I'm familiar with how the world works and what it looks like. Though at times my life can be very difficult, I love my family and wish to stay with them. Death always hurts emotionally. Saying goodbye for an exceedingly long time is extremely difficult. However, Jesus died on the cross and paid the debt for our sins so that we could live eternally with Him, and consequently also be with all the rest of our family and friends who know Christ.
This world is full of pain and suffering. No one escapes it. All unbelievers complain about the evil in this world. Yet instead of turning to the one person who can save them, many believe death is simply an end to the pain. But it isn't! All unbelievers who die, will experience pain eternally and permanently. However, for those who know and love Christ, it isn't pain and suffering that await them after they die, but peace, joy, love, and reunion. When facing death, believers can still have joy because they know to whom they belong, and we are confident that the God who made us and died for us will save us! We can choose to focus on the goodness of God in the midst of our pain. We can choose to share the Gospel - the story of Jesus - with our loved ones.
Jesus said in John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die."
This Thanksgiving, no matter how thankful or unthankful you feel, we can all choose thankfulness. We can choose to show Christ's love to a broken world. We can choose to share the Gospel with those who are lost. And if you do not know Jesus, God offers you the opportunity to choose Christ. It is a choice you will never regret. It is never too soon to make that choice, but sadly one day it will be too late.
If you are would like to know more about what it means to become a Christian, you can read more about it here: https://www.gotquestions.org/how-can-I-be-saved.html
For those dealing with difficult family situations, you can choose to focus on others who are in need. We often forget how very blessed we are to live in a developed country. Even if you are exceedingly poor, typically you still have access to hospitals, education, and food. That can not be said about most places in the world. Did your spouse leave you? Does your family insist on arguing over Thanksgiving dinner? There is no rule that says you must endure an uncomfortable dinner with unthankful company. Instead, you can take yourself elsewhere and serve a Thanksgiving meal to those in need. There are many missions and food pantries who are busy on Thanksgiving Day and often need more help than they can get. When we find ourselves in difficult situations, and our heart is wounded, we can remind ourselves of the great blessings God has given us and use our gifts to serve others.
But what if you are gravely ill or are grieving the loss of a loved one? How does a person make their heart feel joy when it is blanketed in pain? For this, there is only one answer. The only comfort we can find in death is Jesus. I know someday I will die. It is the destiny for all of us, and honestly, I'm not looking forward to it. Even though we experience great pain in this world, it still feels like it is my home. I'm familiar with how the world works and what it looks like. Though at times my life can be very difficult, I love my family and wish to stay with them. Death always hurts emotionally. Saying goodbye for an exceedingly long time is extremely difficult. However, Jesus died on the cross and paid the debt for our sins so that we could live eternally with Him, and consequently also be with all the rest of our family and friends who know Christ.
This world is full of pain and suffering. No one escapes it. All unbelievers complain about the evil in this world. Yet instead of turning to the one person who can save them, many believe death is simply an end to the pain. But it isn't! All unbelievers who die, will experience pain eternally and permanently. However, for those who know and love Christ, it isn't pain and suffering that await them after they die, but peace, joy, love, and reunion. When facing death, believers can still have joy because they know to whom they belong, and we are confident that the God who made us and died for us will save us! We can choose to focus on the goodness of God in the midst of our pain. We can choose to share the Gospel - the story of Jesus - with our loved ones.
Jesus said in John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die."
This Thanksgiving, no matter how thankful or unthankful you feel, we can all choose thankfulness. We can choose to show Christ's love to a broken world. We can choose to share the Gospel with those who are lost. And if you do not know Jesus, God offers you the opportunity to choose Christ. It is a choice you will never regret. It is never too soon to make that choice, but sadly one day it will be too late.
If you are would like to know more about what it means to become a Christian, you can read more about it here: https://www.gotquestions.org/how-can-I-be-saved.html
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