Happy thanksgiving to our US readers.
Today, many will gather around tables laden with food. But will they be thankful? Or will they be exhausted from cooking all day, anxious to watch the ball game coming on TV, or worried about the calories they will intake? Maybe they want to avoid a certain person sitting across from them. Others are wondering when the stores offering Black Friday sales will open and what excuse can they give to leave the table early.
What do all of these “ungrateful” folks have in common? They are thinking mostly of themselves. We humans are wired with that tendency.
Paul tells the Corinthians, and us today, to instead be generous, which requires us to take our thoughts off ourselves and consider others. Like the ones who don’t have a family, or a warm home, or even food.
When we learn to be generous, it is easier to be thankful because we realize everything comes through the generosity of God. It was given to us so we could then give some of it away, trusting he will continue to provide for us, no matter what.
That was the original meaning of Thanksgiving for the Pilgrims. They’d been through famines, storms, and hardships in this new land. But God came through. So they shared their bounty and gave thanks to God for providing help when they needed it the most.
Perhaps we need to return to that thankful attitude today, and every day. If we shared generously, this might be a very different world.
Go Deeper — What could you share today with someone else who may need it more than you?
Read Further — God wants us to share His bountifulness. One practical way is to Feed the Hungry.
Photo Credit: Ümit Bulut