I love this time of year when we
celebrate two holidays that reflect the essence of Christianity. The
first, Thanksgiving, is a time of reflection and acknowledgment of
all that is good nationally and personally. To recognize all the
blessings we have as a nation and individually is to cultivate a
grateful heart. To look for and focus on the positives in life is a
foundation for happiness (Philippians
4:7, 8) and a relationship to God (Psalm
103:2). Expressing thankfulness to God (Ephesians 5:20) is recognizing that
He is the source of all that is good (1
Timothy 4:4) and all that is love (1
John 4:8). Expressing gratitude for and to others is a way to
strengthen relationships (2
Thessalonians 1:3). A grateful heart helps us cope when life
gets difficult. Life is full of challenges and struggles, and if we
allow them to consume us, we lose perspective. Being ungrateful is a
sin (2 Timothy 3:2) because it
shows a lack of recognition and appreciation for the good in our
lives. Cultivating a heart of gratitude and developing the habit of
being thankful and expressing it, is good for life now, and
eternally.
Christmas is characterized by giving
gifts because God gave us the greatest gift of all — salvation (Ephesians 2:8) and eternal life
through His Son Jesus. Giving demonstrates love. God loves us so
much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, into our world (1 John 4:9) to show us who He is (John 1:18) and how to have a
relationship with Him (John 14:6). Not
only did Jesus show us and teach us about God, and ourselves, but He
willingly and literally died for all of us (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 3:18). He was the only human
never to have sinned (Hebrews 4:15),
so He was the only One who could die for our sins and not His (Hebrews 7:26, 27). By paying the
price for our sins (Isaiah 53:5), He
opened the way for us to be forgiven by God (Acts 2:38) and have eternal life with
God (1 John 5:11, 12).