One Sunday our family went to a Golden Corral after church. For those who don’t know, that is an all-you-can-eat buffet with way too many choices. A man was helping his son get some soft serve ice cream, and he asked “Do you want chocolate or vanilla?” The little boy said, “Is that all there is?” I guess the little guy figured that since there were so many choices on the food items that there should have been more choices in the ice cream department, too.

I wonder how often we express that same lack of satisfaction in our lives? Have you ever been in the grocery store looking for a particular item that you couldn’t find? I know I’ve been upset before because I couldn’t find a certain brand of something. Picture this scene: I’m in a supermarket surrounded by an abundance of food. I have the money to buy what I need and then some. Yet I am complaining because I can’t find one certain item. How much sense does that make? Even worse, there are plenty of times when I, living a life of luxury in the lap of plenty, become envious of what others have.

On this national day of thanks, consider the sin of unthankfulness. Not giving thanks to God is a sin. If it is God’s Will that you give thanks, not giving thanks means you are not doing God’s will for you. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lumps those who are ungrateful together with the wicked (Luke 6:35). And listen to the list of sins that Paul gives to Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

That’s a pretty serious list of sins. And right in the midst of it all was UNGRATEFUL. Not giving thanks to God means not recognizing Him as the one who provides all good things for you. In Romans we hear another description of this:

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Today we are encouraged to thank God for all things. We should do so. We should also repent before our good and gracious God, acknowledging that we have not given thanks as we should. And I want to assure you that your lack of gratitude, along with all other sins, has been covered by the blood of Jesus. You are forgiven. And that is at the heart of proper thanksgiving. You and I know what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. He was not obligated to forgive you. It was love that led Him to sacrifice His dearly loved Son in your place to earn your redemption. And you have known that love in your life.

You have experienced God’s love when He claimed you as His own through Holy Baptism. You have felt God’s love for you in receiving the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. You have known God’s love each time you confess your sins and heard the announcement of God’s forgiveness to you. You have the love of God through Christ Jesus your Lord. God’s love in Christ gives you the certainty of life everlasting. Receive that gift with a grateful heart.

Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.