Parenting Points
Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and remember. We are given a national holiday focused on thanks, yet sometimes, it is easy for us in our lives to celebrate our blessings without remembering the Source.
In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar falls into the trap of forgetting the Source. As he looks around and sees all the blessings God has provided him, he comments, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30 ESV). In the very next moment, Nebuchadnezzar hears a voice from heaven saying that God will remove the kingdom from him and cause him to lose his mind. Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten the Source. It cost him his kingdom and his life as he knew it.
During our Thanksgiving holiday, it is easy for us and our families to get so busy that we also fall into the trap of forgetting the source. Though we may not be as bold as Nebuchadnezzar to say it out loud, we can easily think that the food on the table is the result of our hard work at the office. Amid our wealth, we can miss our need and utter dependency on God as our Source. Throughout the Psalms, we read prayers of thanks to God for His provision. In Psalm 9:1 ESV, David writes, “I will give thanks to God with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” One of the many ways to thank God is to remember all He has done as the source of all good in our lives. Psalm 136:1 ESV reads, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” His goodness is all around us, yet we never slow down to notice and remember the Source.
This Thanksgiving, how will your family take time to remember the Source? What are some of the countless ways God has blessed you and your family? Where do you see the goodness of God? Maybe, this Thanksgiving dinner could begin with a time of praise for the Source rather than simply diving into another great meal.
-Dr. Ben Birdsong
Missions Minister at Christ Church Birmingham
Writer and Speaker
