In All Things, Give Thanks!

The exciting season of Thanksgiving is just around the corner! 

Thanksgiving is a time for Canadians to express gratitude for a plentiful harvest and the blessings of the previous year. This custom finds its roots in both Indigenous celebrations of successful harvests and European explorers’ recognition of safe travels and comfortable settlements. 

Today, we build on that tradition and view the season as a time to celebrate God’s favour in our lives. We gather with friends and family around the dining table to reflect on how He has blessed us with success in every regard: school, livelihoods, finances, family, relationships, and countless other accomplishments we could not have achieved were it not for God’s grace. Even those without any perceived successes still find reasons to celebrate Him!

Thanksgiving is a value that is deeply important to the Christian. It redirects our attention from what we lack to the goodness and faithfulness of God (Psalm 107:1). It reminds us that every blessing, whether health, family, breath, or wealth, comes from God’s grace, not our merit (James 1:17). Even more, when we recount God’s past blessings, we renew confidence that He will provide again (Psalm 103:2). Finally, Thanksgiving inspires the Christian towards a life of service and generosity. Ideally, it goes beyond mere words of declaration and is demonstrated through acts of generosity, especially to those less fortunate (Hebrews 13:16). 

During this Thanksgiving season, Adventist Youth Ontario is excited to promote the Compassion Ministry’s Love Week Challenge. It will be an amazing experience to witness young people from across Ontario show up in the lives of people within their communities and shower them with acts of kindness. Certainly, in this process, they will manifest in real time that “Gratitude demands that we give as freely as we have received” (A. W. Tozer). 

A 15-year-old boy complained to his mother that he couldn’t go to church because his shoes were torn. On the way, he saw another young man around his age walking barefoot through the cold. Suddenly, he stopped complaining, ran home, grabbed an old pair of sneakers, and gave them to the young man. That night, he prayed, “Lord, thank you not for what I lack, but for what I can give.”

In this season, may you and your family express your gratitude to God for all of His goodness. But may it overflow so much so as it drives you to serve others.