Shifting Atmospheres Through Thanksgiving

“For every creation of God is good and no food is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5, NET).

Are you as excited as I am for Thanksgiving dinner? It’s been so much fun to introduce this celebration and its accompanying culinary delights to my Peruvian family. Israel’s parents and siblings look forward to it maybe even more than we do now.

They truly do follow the instructions in our verse for today and receive the rich spread with thankful hearts. This is something I have observed about living in a developing world country: I am surrounded by people who don’t take the blessings of simple delights for granted. A spread of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, squash pie (in lieu of pumpkin, which is not available here), and the like is met with overflowing enthusiasm every single time.

Let’s “chew” on this verse a little more for a moment together, before we run off to finish all our extensive meal prep. I am so struck by what Holy Spirit is teaching us here. As we lean into what it says, we come to understand that food can actually be sanctified, made holy, through a prayer of thanksgiving.

If we pause and thank God for His wonderfully loving provision of nutritious food, that food becomes holy. As we celebrate today, our delectable banquets can take on a spiritual quality, as we draw near to the Giver of life and lift up hearts of gratitude. There are so many important Kingdom purposes at work as we gather together around a meal.

One more thought about this. I believe there is a principle here that extends beyond mealtimes. I am convinced that it’s not only food that can be sanctified by giving thanks, but so much more. If we intentionally incorporate thanksgiving into other aspects of life, it works holiness into the fabric of our daily routines. Continual thanksgiving brings the presence of God, and along with it comes joyful contentment.

If we come into a season where our employment feels stale and unsatisfying, thanksgiving can transform our emotional state dramatically. The job may remain exactly the same in nature, but intentionally thanking God wholeheartedly throughout the day will create an inner atmosphere that makes all the difference.

If we are in a family situation that is causing significant relational difficulty, bringing thanksgiving into it will have a similar effect. Through the deliberate practice of frequently thanking Jesus for His goodness, we become carriers of contentment. What an amazing honor! We get to bring the holiness of God into the worst of earthly circumstances. We get to infuse the mundane with His very nature.

At your Thanksgiving table today and throughout the whole day, I pray you enjoy the tangible presence of our beautiful Savior. Let’s give Him thanks with all our hearts, for He alone is worthy!

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Have you noticed the practice of thanksgiving shifting how you feel about difficult circumstances?