When should we be Thankful?

Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

American Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. We have presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt to thank for that. Lincoln scheduled it, and Roosevelt made it a law. So every year, many Americans get that Thursday off, and we spend the day with those we love. There are many ways to celebrate Thanksgiving. Some families have a special recipe that is always made, like grandma’s pumpkin pie. Other families have a special tradition, where everyone shares what they are grateful for. Some families volunteer, helping those in need on Thanksgiving every year. These are all great things to do! Regardless of how we celebrate, taking a day for giving thanks is important. Yet as Christians, we don’t just wait until the fourth Thursday of November. Following Christ means that we are “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). Did you hear that? Always and for everything! We never stop giving thanks for everything in our lives. Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday; it is a way of life for those of us who know God as our Father through Jesus Christ. When our lives are marked by thankfulness, others will want to know where our joyful gratitude comes from. Then we can introduce them to Jesus, and they can join us in our thankfulness. This is Luis Palau.