The Problem With Thanksgiving
Some of you may not be familiar with the terms “replacement theology” and “covenant theology”, let me do a quick breakdown if I can. Covenant theology is a view of Scripture which includes believing that when the Bible talks about Israel it primarily is speaking of “true Israel”, and therefore Israel almost always means the people of God. Because of this, they believe the church today is “true Israel”, and that national Israel really has little importance in God’s plan. We who hold to the idea that national Israel still has a future and significance in the plan of God might call this view “replacement theology”, intending to say that covenant theology is “replacing” Israel with the church. I try not to use the term “replacement theology” a lot out of deference for my covenant theology brothers and sisters who would insist they are not replacing anything, but simply believing the church is a continuation of the people of God.
I wrote all of that to write this, that I love Thanksgiving, and I am one of those guys who insists that we celebrate Thanksgiving as its own holiday. Therefore, I believe we should wait until after Thanksgiving to begin to celebrate the Christmas season. Many have made the argument, however, that we should combine this entire season together, and put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving and see it all as one long season. In my mind, these people are practicing “replacement holidayology”. Of course, like the covenant theology people, they may not like that term, but I believe we must hold to a distinction, not just of national Israel and the church, but also of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Now that you have endured my dry, theological humor for the day, let me express to you what I see as a problem with Thanksgiving. It really is not a problem in the sense that I think we should not celebrate it, as I said before, I love Thanksgiving. Not because I am a turkey connoisseur, I am actually known to call turkey a “garbage meat”. I believe it can be made very tasty, however, through bringing, injecting, proper seasoning, but by itself, I find turkey to be dry, bland, and really a poor imitation of chicken. Turkey has to be made into a good meat, it is not good by itself. Even the leftovers have some strange turkey aftertaste that I really do not care for if not seasoned and brined properly. I know that stirred up more controversy than my theological musings above, so let me get to the point here before I lose you.
I would venture to guess that often, Christians are no better at being thankful than the world is.
I love Thanksgiving because our nation sets aside a day in which we are to be thankful, but the problem with that is our nation is rarely thankful the other 364 days of the year. Listen to our politicians complain about one another, the other party, the process, and you will find little thankfulness coming out of their mouths. Listen to the public complain about inflation, complain about how they cannot afford a vacation, complain about how they have less spending money this year. Listen to the feminists complain about how women are treated so despicably by the culture. Listen to the LGBTQ+ lobby complain that they are oppressed in our society. Listen to the environmentalists complain that the earth’s climate is changing. Listen to anyone in our country, 364 days of the year, and you are going to hear more and more complaining.
It is easy to look at the unbelievers and pick on them, but what about professing Christians? Listen to Christians complain that the country is going the wrong direction. Listen to us complain that our church is not what it should be. Listen to us complain about the other people we go to church with. Listen to us complain about the loss of freedoms we have experienced. Listen to us complain in many of the same ways the world complains: about inflation, about not being able to afford a vacation, about having less spending money this year. I would venture to guess that often, Christians are no better at being thankful than the world is.
The pattern in the life of Christians is not to be complaining, but thankfulness.
Many of us come to Thanksgiving, and we take one day and express our thankfulness, while the other 364 days of the year we complain about anything and everything. The danger becomes that we think we have actually done God a favor by giving Him one day a year to express thankfulness, while the day before and day after we will spend complaining. Christians, however, are not called to cease complaining one day a year. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14, Legacy Standard Bible). It would seem we are to not complain, ever. In fact, we are to be “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20). The pattern in the life of Christians is not to be complaining, but thankfulness.
After God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, and while they were wandering in the wilderness, we read this, “Now the people became like those who complain of calamity in the ears of Yahweh. And Yahweh heard it and His anger was kindled, and the fire of Yahweh burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1). It would seem not only is complaining a sin, but it is a sin that especially kindles God’s anger toward people whom He has delivered. Christians, of all people, should always be a thankful people. The penalty for our sins was laid upon Jesus Christ, we have received deliverance, forgiveness, and had His righteousness placed upon us. How can we not be thankful at all times?
Thanksgiving can be problematic if we or our culture think it makes up for lives lived with ungrateful hearts the rest of the year.
One of the signs of God’s judgment on a people is a lack of thanks, “For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21). I believe our society may think God is like the made-up gods, where they believe we can appease Him by giving Him one day of thanks per year, and then can be ungrateful the rest of the year. Beware lest we as Christians fall into this same trap. Thanksgiving can be problematic if we or our culture think it makes up for lives lived with ungrateful hearts the rest of the year.
This year, let us be sure we do not simply celebrate Thanksgiving with thankfulness, but let it be a renewed commitment for us to be thankful. This thankful heart would then be reflected by a refusal to complain. It would be reflected by a commitment to see what God has graciously given to us, not just today, but all year long. Christians should thank God for the freedom we still have in this nation, for the luxury He still grants us, but mostly, for the freedom He has given us in Christ. Free from the law, free from the penalty of sin, and free to live our lives in service to God. We have experienced God’s unchanging love that will be demonstrated to us in His kindness throughout eternity, how can we not be thankful moment by moment? Let’s give thanks today, but let’s also commit ourselves to thankfulness tomorrow, and in the days ahead.
