“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” — Psalm 136:1
Thanksgiving is upon us! Can you believe that? For many of us, that means holiday traditions, decorating, special meals, and time with family. As moms, we work especially hard to make this season meaningful. We want our homes to feel warm, the food to taste good, and the atmosphere to reflect love. Like many, this is one of my very favorite times of the year.
But every year, as the leaves turn and the scent of pumpkin pie fills the kitchen, I find myself pausing to ask: What is the heart of this season really about?
Thanksgiving Family Traditions
I am deeply grateful for the years I’ve spent with my own husband and children - and now with their spouses and our grandchildren. Over the years, with God's help, we’ve worked to build a strong, close-knit family. I tried to establish traditions over the years, but I also learned that even the sweetest traditions can quietly drift into something more about us than Him.
I know that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17), but I’m also aware that life is not all about my enjoyment. The challenge is balance, learning to celebrate with gratitude without letting the celebration itself become the center of it all, because there is a bigger story—a much bigger plan.
In light of the gospel, holidays shouldn’t revolve entirely around making everything “just so” for our own families. Like any other day, there are opportunities to love, serve, and lay down our lives for others.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16
Beyond the Tablecloth
The big, beautiful meals, the decorations, the traditions, and even the well-ironed tablecloths, all of these are good things. But they’re the extras. They aren’t the feast itself. The actual feast is the heart behind it: gratitude, grace, generosity, and love. There are far more important things than a perfect meal or matching napkins:
- A peaceful home that lets God set the pace.
- A relaxed atmosphere that allows Him to change our plans.
- Flexibility to always have room for one more at the table.
- A mom who doesn’t melt down if the sweet potatoes fall on the floor. (Yes, that happened one year ago! We laughed, scraped them up, and ate them anyway!)
- People always welcomed, embraced, and loved — even the hard-to-love ones.
- Finding those who have nowhere to go and making them part of the family.
- Overlooking offenses and assuming the best of others.
- Holding traditions loosely, keeping people first.
When we live this way, gratitude grows deep roots. We begin to see Thanksgiving not as one day in November, but as a posture of the heart—a way of living every day of the year.
The Overflow of Gratitude
Genuine gratitude isn’t just an emotion that bubbles up when life is good. It’s an act of worship. A declaration that God is good even when circumstances aren’t. Gratitude changes how we see everything: interruptions become invitations, inconvenience becomes an opportunity, and traditions become tools for hospitality and grace.
When our hearts are full of thankfulness toward God, that thankfulness will naturally overflow into how we treat others. Jesus modeled this for us perfectly. He gave thanks before breaking bread, even on the night He was betrayed (Luke 22:19). He expressed gratitude in the face of sorrow. That’s the kind of thankfulness that transforms ordinary family gatherings into sacred spaces.
Imagine what might happen if we asked God to help us see our Thanksgiving table as not just a special meal, but as a ministry. Each person seated there, from the loud uncle to the shy neighbor, becomes a reminder of the people God has called us to love. When we make room at the table, we make room for God to move.
Put It Into Practice
Here are a few simple, heart-level ways to practice gospel-centered gratitude this Thanksgiving:
Pray before you plan.
Before the cooking, cleaning, and coordinating begin, gather your family and pray. Ask God to make this Thanksgiving about more than food and décor. Ask Him to open your eyes to opportunities to love and serve.Set an extra place.
Literally, as you set the table, set one extra place setting — a visible reminder that your home is open to whoever God brings. Pray as a family that He will fill that seat with someone who needs His love. Maybe it’s a neighbor, a college student far from home, or a friend walking through loss.Assign “kingdom jobs.”
Assign each family member a role that helps create space for connection rather than chaos. Perhaps one person’s job is to welcome guests at the door, help with dishes, or keep an eye out for anyone sitting alone. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s presence.Keep the main thing the main thing.
When something goes wrong (and it will), laugh together. Let grace be the atmosphere. Remember, people won’t recall whether the rolls were homemade, but they’ll remember how your home felt.Look outward.
Maybe there’s a single mom nearby who would love to join you. Perhaps an older couple in your church would be blessed by an invitation to join you. Ask God to put someone on your heart, and then follow through with your prayers.
The Gift of a Gospel-Centered Home
As moms, we set the tone. When our hearts are at peace and our eyes are lifted toward Jesus, our homes reflect that. A gospel-centered Thanksgiving isn’t one where everything goes perfectly, but one where Christ’s love is evident in the midst of it all.
Your family is a gift, but not one meant to be hoarded. God designed families to be a picture of His love and an instrument through which His grace is displayed to the world. He wants to use your home, your table, and your laughter as a platform for the gospel.
As you prepare for Thanksgiving, take a deep breath. You don’t need to do it all. You need to love well. Let your gratitude turn to worship, and your worship turn to service. Let your home be a place where others see what the love of Christ looks like lived out in everyday ways.
Scriptures to Meditate On
- “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” — Hebrews 13:2
- “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… and be thankful.” — Colossians 3:15
- “From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” — John 1:16
A Thanksgiving Prayer
Father, Thank You for every good and perfect gift — for family, for food, for laughter, for the beauty of this season. But most of all, thank You for Jesus, who laid down His life for us and showed us what true love looks like. Help us not to cling too tightly to our traditions or our plans. Open our eyes to those who need to experience Your kindness through us. Give us hearts that are quick to serve, hands that are ready to welcome, and lips that overflow with gratitude.
May our homes reflect your peace, our tables your generosity, and our conversations your grace. Teach us to give thanks not only when life feels full, but even when it feels fragile, knowing that Your love endures forever. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
