We are entering a season smattered with thankfulness. Turkeys will go in the oven, pies will be shared, decorations will be erected, relatives will come for visits, and gifts will be exchanged. While some will find that there is much to be thankful for, others will go through this season with a sense of despair. Many will take part in all these things and yet not truly be thankful. Some will choose to dwell on their losses, on the economy, on painful personal relationships, or on other problems in their life. They will be so consumed with self-pity, envy, greed, and selfishness that they will miss out on the purpose of this season ahead. So many in our culture today have lost a true spirit of thanksgiving. How important is it for us to be thankful?

There is an old phrase that “cleanliness is next to godliness”, but I’d like to propose that the phrase should be changed to “THANKFULNESS is next to godliness”. You see, we can’t truly be thankful without acknowledging God in our lives. And a lack of thankfulness is a mark of the death spiral of sinfulness that our world will fall into just before the end times. With that in mind, let’s look at a few reasons why thankfulness really is next to godliness….

1. Thankfulness requires GRATEFULNESS – Thanksgiving requires us to recognize that we have been blessed and are grateful for the beneficence of someone beyond ourselves. Paul tells Timothy that in the last days people will have “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” (2 Timothy 3:5). In other words, the day is coming when people’s religious experiences will be related to a deluded sense of personal empowerment. They will deny that God is THE power behind ALL of the good in life. They will not acknowledge Him as the supplier of their needs. They will cease to be grateful to Him. They will no longer give Him thanks.


2. Thankfulness requires SELFLESSNESS – Another warning given by Paul about the last days is the inherent selfish and self-centered mindset that will pervade the culture: “men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents” (2 Timothy 3:2). Selfishness comes in various forms and flavors. It can show up in these ways: wanting what we don’t have (i.e. covetousness), overstating what we do have (i.e. boasting), overestimating who we are (i.e. proud), diminishing who God is (i.e. blasphemers), and unaccountable to authority (i.e. disobedient). As long as these attitudes inhabit our thinking, we can not be thankful. We must remove these obstacles to thankfulness and put on a selfless attitude if we are to be truly thankful.


3. Thankfulness is a result of HOLINESS – Two terms placed next to each other in Paul’s description of the last days are “unthankful” and “unholy”. Now we know that only God is truly holy. However, we are told be holy as well as we follow Christ and remain abiding in Him. Where does our holiness come from? From our ability to keep sin from our lives? No. The Bible tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Any hope we have to be holy can only come from God. If you know Jesus Christ as Savior, you have been declared righteous and your path toward holiness only comes to you as you abide in Him and yield to the control of the Holy Spirit in your life. That’s something to be thankful about!

So as you go through this season and participate in all of the food and festivities, take time to be thankful. Remember that your blessings come from God and be grateful for what He has provided. Don’t allow a selfish mindset to creep into your thinking and mute your ability to be thankful. Then, even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, take the time to abide in Christ, yield to the Holy Spirit and thank God that He has saved you for your good and for His glory! You will find that thankfulness is next to godliness.