Today's Devotional

November 23,  2005

 

Subject:  Thanksgiving...The Event Versus The Lifestyle

1Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and around the country churches are gearing up, collecting canned goods, initiating food drives and providing aid and assistance to many of the less fortunate in their communities.  It's that time of year again and everyone is joining in.  

Stop!  Wait a minute.  That time of year again?  What are we doing?  Have we taken an attitude about life that we're supposed to have as followers of Christ and turned it into an event that occurs during a certain part of the year?  I think we have.  Look around you and you will see it.  Sad to say, but many churches are acting "out of character" during the holiday season.  For 10 months of the year some of them make little mention of rendering the assistance that is needed year-round in our country and the world and then mid or late November hits and it's "time to do some good."  Lets fix this.

People are hurting every day and they need physical and spiritual aid.  The heart of Christ provides both.  Paul said it best in the passage above.  We are to give thanks in everything we do and we do it best when we are giving to others, helping others and not when we're waiting on "that time of year."  

For the world, it's the "holiday spirit" and that works for us because it opens many of them to the message that we want to present to them, but for us it's the "Holy Spirit."  That's what we're thankful for and He makes everyday a day of Thanksgiving, 365 x 24/7.  

Today, remember that for us Thanksgiving is not an event, it's a lifestyle.

Carlen