What Does the Word Thanksgiving Really Mean?

 

What Thanksgiving Really Means According to the Bible

Most people think of Thanksgiving as turkey, football, a day off work, gathering with relatives, and a calendar holiday that shows up once a year in late November. But when you look at Scripture, Thanksgiving is far more than a date. It is more than food. It is more than a season. Biblical thanksgiving is a lifestyle. It is a spiritual posture. It is a daily response to God that flows out of gratefulness for salvation, the cross, and what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving was never meant to be one day a year. It is meant to be a 365 days a year spiritual disposition of the heart. The first national proclamation of Thanksgiving in the United States dates back to 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November as a day of national gratitude unto God (historical source: https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm). But long before America ever did this, God already defined what true thanksgiving is supposed to look like, and Jesus was the perfect model and example of how to live it.

Thanksgiving Begins with Scripture, Not Culture

As believers, we never define words or practices based on cultural preference or modern interpretation. We define everything through the Word of God. If it is not in the Bible, we do not preach it, believe it, or follow it. Deuteronomy 4:2 is crystal clear: “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it.” The Bible is our authority. It is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Inside it are all the instructions needed for THIS life to prepare for the NEXT life. Thanksgiving must be understood by what God says it means, not what tradition says, not what culture says, not what the calendar says. When we ask “What does Thanksgiving really mean?” the only true answer is found in Scripture.

Are You a Thanks-Giver or a Thanks-Taker?

When you hear the word Thanksgiving, what immediately comes to mind? Feasting? Shopping? Holidays? Travel? Or pain, loss, divorce, abuse, trauma, disappointment, grief, betrayal, financial anxiety, or abandonment? For some, Thanksgiving is joyful. For others, Thanksgiving is painful. But the real question beneath it all is this: are you a thanks-giver…or a thanks-taker? Jesus was a thanks-giver. Every time Jesus broke bread, He gave thanks. When He fed 5,000, He gave thanks. When He fed 4,000, He gave thanks. When He shared the Last Supper, He gave thanks. Jesus gave thanks daily, not annually. Jesus models that biblical thanksgiving is not an occasional event. It is a daily acknowledgment of the Source of all provision. Thanksgiving is the continual recognition that everything we have is from God.

Giving Thanks “IN” All Circumstances, Not “FOR” All Circumstances

Scripture teaches something subtle but profoundly important. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells believers: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” Notice carefully — it does NOT say give thanks FOR everything. We do not thank God FOR tragedies, abuse, loss, death, betrayal, sexual trauma, moral evil, or wickedness. But we ARE commanded to give thanks IN all situations because Romans 8:28 promises that God works in ALL THINGS for the good of those who love Him. Thanksgiving is not denial. It is not pretending something bad is good. It is acknowledging that God is sovereign even when circumstances are not. Thanksgiving is faith that God can redeem the darkest situations for His glory and for our eternal good.

Gratitude Flows from a Big View of God

Henry Ford famously said, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. And you are right both ways.” That quote is used in business, sports, psychology, and self-help culture. But spiritually, this points to a deeper reality — what you believe about God determines if your heart will be a thanks-giver or a thanks-taker. A thanks-giver has a BIG God. A thanks-taker has a small god or no God at all. Opinions about God become beliefs about God. Beliefs become actions. Actions become outcomes. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). One day, every person will give account. That alone should shape gratitude every single day.

The Greatest Thanksgiving Is Salvation Through Jesus Christ

The Lexham Theological Wordbook defines thanksgiving as “an expression of gratitude to God for his care and concern, especially as shown through his redemptive acts.” The greatest act God ever did for mankind was the sending of His Son Jesus Christ to redeem us. John 3:16 is the greatest “thanks-giving” verse in the universe. Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Salvation is the ultimate gift. There is no bigger thanks-giving than receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Thanksgiving begins at the cross.

Strange Things Christians Should Be Thankful For

Nolan Jackson wrote that believers can even thank God IN things that seem impossible to thank Him in. Not FOR the pain, not FOR the trial, but IN it. Why? Because God is sovereign in it. We see examples in Scripture of being thankful IN beatings, in being rejected, in correction, in loss, in poverty, and in suffering. Jesus said believers are blessed when they are hated for His name. Those who belong to Christ are never separated from His love (Romans 8:39). God disciplines those He loves just like a father disciplines his children. If parents do not discipline their children, society eventually will. God calls believers to focus on eternity, because Heaven is not broken. Earth is. Thanksgiving lifts our eyes above our situation and places them back on God’s eternal promises.

Thanksgiving Magnifies God Daily, Not Annually

Thanksgiving should characterize every believer. Colossians 2:6-7 teaches us to live in Christ and overflow with thankfulness. Psalm 69:30 says thanksgiving glorifies God. Psalm 50:23 says thanksgiving honors God. Hebrews 12:28 commands believers to be thankful. We give thanks because God answers prayer (2 Corinthians 1:10-11). We give thanks because Christian giving increases thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11). We give thanks because God rescues us from sin (Romans 7:21-25). We give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20) because every breath we take is a gift from God. Job 14:5 reminds us that the length of our life is fixed and numbered by God. Thanksgiving is simply the right response.

How We Show Thanksgiving Daily

Scripture gives practical ways to show thanks: sacrificial giving, worship, music, praise, speaking truth, honoring Jesus with our lips, serving others, praying for others, and continually thanking God daily. The Bible is full of examples from Solomon’s temple, Nehemiah’s celebration, the Samaritan leper, Anna the prophetess, and the Apostle Paul. Thanksgiving is even part of heavenly worship in Revelation. If you are facing a storm, God may be using it as your “smoke signal” that leads to future blessing. God wastes nothing in the life of a believer. Living with gratitude keeps your heart aligned with Heaven, anchored in hope, and grounded in the promises of God.

Final Thought

Thanksgiving is not about the turkey. It’s not about one Thursday. It is a lifestyle of grateful worship to the God who created you, redeemed you, loves you, saved you, and prepared eternity for you. Be a thanks-giver 365 days a year.

Pastor John Haggard