Thanksgiving
Should thanksgiving service be for a special day in our churches or should be encouraged all the time? Why do churches separate a day in the month for thanksgiving when Bible encourages us to thank God always and in everything? Why is it all about the money in some cases? Can we pay for what God has done for us in cash?
Here are responses to the question on whether it is appropriate to have a special day for thanksgiving
Kayode Layode
Everyday a man wakes up hail and hearty is a day of thanksgiving; even if he wakes up with misfortune and calamity. The Bible encourages us to give thanks in everything and for everything. The implication is that no matter the situation we find ourselves we must thank and appreciate him. It should be a daily affair. The Bible says in everything. We have been commanded to give thanks because we are unprofitable servants life is a precious gift from God. The words of Jesus in Luk 17 v 5-10 states, “…when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” That scriptures tells us that no matter how we stand before God we are still unprofitable in the sense that we can’t earn his goodness by our deeds. So we have a responsibility to always appreciate and acknowledge and thank God. I do not think money giving can adequately pay for the goodness of God in our lives.
Tonborokai Robert Gajere
The designation of a special day is for the purpose of putting to remembrance what the Lord has done and not because that special day is special in the sense that the thanksgiving of that day is more recognized before God. People hold birthdays and thank God on that day. That does not mean the person has not been thanking God and he should not thank God. It is about what that special day means to one. That is for the individual. Like I said it’s a matter of the day serving as a reminder of God’s doing and the need for us to appreciate him. So, it’s not about the designated day, but the purpose for the designation. The question we must ask is: For what purpose? But then since individuals make up the church, the church can designate a day for all those who have special reasons to thank God to do so. I know the question really is whether money is important while giving thanks. That is an issue that should be between the person and God. Certainly we should have it at the back of our minds that we can’t pay for whatever good thing we enjoy from God. So when we give we are not actually giving to God. We are only giving to help and support ourselves in church.
MC Dolly Odewumi Adewale
We do not need to dedicate a day. But I feel it should not be a debate either. We read the Bible every time we gather in church but there are days meant for BIBLE STUDY or Quarterly Bible exposition etc where more time is dedicated for that. Questions can be asked and they will be treated well. I feel it creates room for emphasis. Jesus lived a life of thanksgiving but it was recorded that when he was about to perform some miracles, he specifically thanked God again. Just like we pray everytime whether in our bathrooms or in church, we can still organize prayer revivals just to revive our spirit and get us connected to God. It’s just sad that some people or pastors now use the name of God to make money at the detriment of the gospel. God wants his ministers to prosper but not through dubious means. Do you remember when Moses told the Israelites to bring stuff for the tabernacle, they brought willingly and it was more than enough. Jesus also said, give and it will come back to you. Once we teach our members the benefit of giving, we would be less concerned with thinking that “bo ya pasitor wa ti ko offering wa je”
Ayo Owoyemi
We are in age of the Holy Spirit. If we have to be pinpointing all we do in Christianity to the activities we can only cite in the Bible, It will show we don’t understand dispensations. The Bible even says so many good things were done even in the age of the Bible that were not recorded. There are good things we can do that are not found in the Bible but are inspired by the Holy Ghost. That is the perspective from which I think we can view this.
Tony Opara
In the real sense every day is thanksgiving. The naming of Sundays and other special days as thanksgiving days does not correlate with the injunctions of the Bible. The Bible encourages us to give thanks always. It is the habit and the culture of the believer to thank God always irrespective of the situation we find ourselves. The trouble is that some of the thanksgiving are about some seemingly positive things that have happened to our lives. Nobody thanks God publicly for the negative. Some churches make their own once in a month some middle of the year and end of the year. All these are strange to the Bible. But I think this tradition has come to stay. I don’t see change in the near future
Yanju Uwala
If I can reference it well, thanksgiving here means appreciating God for His loving kindness over our lives and other things, then if that should be the case, I don’t think there should be a specific day or special period or day allotted to it. Every day suppose be our time and period of thanking God for His loving kindness over us. The lifestyle of the believer should be the lifestyle of thanksgiving. But then many of the thanksgiving we have are often tied to money. Many churches would perhaps not see you as giving thanks until you put money to it. That is where the problem is and the abuse.
Osifo Joe
If we start questioning many of these things we do in church we will arrive at some point where we will have to do away with a lot of religious practices.
A lot of things have been altered long before our present fathers even came to the scene. Many of them just carried on since then.
Today, the religious organisations (and not the church) have become an institution. Sadly those organisations have been portrayed to mean the church and many are so ignorant. So if you try to contend with any of these errors, these powerful men in robes have a way of putting you on the spot and make you appear as an enemy of the church. I still stand on my conviction, what we have are religous organisations that peddle all manners of spiritual products to men who’s spiritual hunger still persist. In my church for instance it’s always about the money that you give. That is what makes meaning to the pastor. Your thanksgiving is measured in terms of the money that you give. If some people don’t come to church on Thanksgiving Day the following Sunday they would be called out to come and thank God. Are we saying they can’t thank God in their homes? Is God not everywhere? The bottom line for the church is the money and this is so sad. While I believe giving should be encouraged, I do not think it is fair to take advantage of a simple Bible injunction to wrest money from people.
Johnson Adeola Ogunseitan
Answers are meant to be given to questions from the Bible. From Leviticus to Number in the Bible period, time were allotted to children and sons of God to come before the altars of God and do thanksgiving. In New Testament anniversaries are meant for thanksgiving. For example 50th periods called the day of Pentecost was meant for such. Nevertheless, apart from Biblical doctrines, coming out every 30 days before the Lord is honorable. (RCCG standard) Church doctrine (uniqueness and corporate thanksgiving) It is common to all doctrines worldwide that a specific time be set aside for appreciation to their God or gods. It is biblical and a good doctrine too. From Genesis to Deuteronomy God ordered thanksgiving either after a war or a good journey. For the individual our thanksgiving should be every day.