I love Thanksgiving, and I hate how the world seems to skip right from Halloween to Christmas. I enjoy both of those days as well, obviously Christmas is my favorite. But, I really love Thanksgiving and believe it’s detrimental to our understanding of God and His Word for us to miss or abuse Thanksgiving. Of course, my passion may also stem from the fact that my ancestors were the ones who celebrated the first Thanksgiving. I have learned so much from them as I have researched their lives, and I hope to share some of that blessing with you today.

1. The Pilgrims sacrificed everything to worship God. 

These people left their homes and families and comfort zones because there was nothing more important to them than worshipping their God the way He outlined in His Word. What about you and your family? As yourself this, “Is there anything in my life keeping me from worshipping Him the way I should? What could I change to make God’s Word more important in my life?”

Likely, you won’t find anything keeping you from worshipping God that’s as dramatic as what the Pilgrim’s faced, but if you’re not going to church or engaging with God’s Word in your home, then you’re the one making it hard to worship God. So, the first lesson is that we should sacrifice anything and everything that short circuits living in the reality of God. We need more time with Him and the body of Christ, not less.

2. The Pilgrims sacrificed everything again to stay faithful to God.

The Pilgrims didn’t come to America  so they could biblically worship God on Sunday. They found that freedom in Holland. The Pilgrims decided to leave Holland so they could more easily worship God every other day of the week.

The culture in Holland was very similar to ours in that there was much temptation. I don’t want to belabor this point, but the Pilgrims left Holland because they realized it would be more difficult to worship God in Holland by living a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way because of all the tempting influences. “What things are in your life that make it hard for you to stay true to the Lord? What things would it be a good idea for you to remove from your life because they distract you from God or because they lie to you about God?”

The Pilgrims chose a grim and difficult course simply because their main mission in life was to know God and grow in their relationship with Him. If that’s your mission, what hindrances are there in your life that are keeping you and your family from thriving in that mission? We need to sacrifice everything to follow God’s Truth—not just on Sunday—but every day of our lives.

3. The Pilgrims sacrificed everything for each other.
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We all know about the Pilgrim’s first winter. We know that half of the population died. But did you know that there were only a few people who didn’t get sick that winter? Did you know those men and women cared for everyone else? In addition to trying to survive, they did all they could to help others survive.

I’m sad to say that too many professing Christians are not on the same team. They may all live under the same roof or attend the same church, but they have their own plans and their own gods. Try asking your kids this one: “What does Dad need to sacrifice to love the family more? What does Mom need to sacrifice? What do the brothers and sisters need to sacrifice in order to be what the family needs and do what the family needs?” Try asking people in your church, “How can I better serve you this week?”

The Pilgrims weren’t perfect. They made many bad choices. They were sinners, but they set a positive example by being willing to sacrifice everything to love God and love others. I think those lessons will be good for me and my family, and I think they will be good for you and yours.