For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21

What if the ones Paul wrote about in Romans 1:21, those who did not give thanks, had been living in a society that had created a special day to remind them about why they should be thankful ... could it have kept their foolish hearts from becoming unthankful, and therefore, darkened by foolish speculations? Could it have changed civilization in a profound way? Let me bring this line of questioning closer to home, by asking: Has it worked for you? Well, has it? Does Thanksgiving Day confirm the reality of a thankful heart having been put within you or does it confirm your lack of thankfulness during the better part of every year?

Do you understand why I persist in pushing you to consider these questions? If not, I'll remind you. I do it because we've become so ingrained by a gospel that is not really good news at all. I ask probing questions that may seem a little too detailed because they uncover the emptiness of a religious Christianity that forces us to constantly readjust the spiritual insight given to us in Christ that would otherwise cause us to marvel at the vastness of the life that we have been made partakers of. What I'm saying is that we have learned to adapt by incorporating the spirit of this darkened world into how we view the new creation in which we have been remade.

I enjoy having Thanksgiving Day off (especially when it includes a wonderful turkey dinner with family and friends ... although that may soon change because of how the spirit of greed keeps expanding into previously off-limits territory). I understand the appeal of those warm fuzzies from hearing so many people wishing me well on this special day. On top of all that, I well remember the excitement of the day that kicked off the coming holiday season of Christmas. But you know what? Over the years, God has made me painfully aware of the shallowness of fleshly thanksgiving (especially my own), as well as joyful aware of the amazing reality of the thankful heart of Christ that is within me.

A few more probing questions for you who have been delivered by Christ to consider:

1. Have you given into the deception that forces the assumption of still having an unthankful heart
2. Do you really believe that a special day could change the aforementioned unthankful heart?
3. Have you allowed the reasoning of the world to convince you that you need some outward motivation to become thankful?
4. Do you not understand that Romans 1:21 is no longer about you?
5. Are you going to listen to those who base their encouragements, commands, or principles upon the lie that Christ has not really given you a thankful heart?

ShovelAudio

Just this morning, I uploaded a brand new ShovelAudio file: Obsessed With Sin. Check it out!