Growing up, my family celebrated Thanksgiving many years at the annual A&M vs. Texas football game, as we met in either College Station or Austin for the game. I always appreciated that my family cared enough to get together to celebrate thanksgiving before the game. As I look back on this holiday through the lens of the “pay it forward” concept found in scripture, I see my Thanksgiving Holiday celebrations to be not as other centered as they could have been. However, what should “Pay It Forward” mean to a believer? I know what it means to “pay it (a debt) back”, but what does it mean to “pay a debt forward?”
One thing we need to remember is that we cannot pay back (or forward) any debt we owe to God for that would nullify grace. God’s grace 
can never be repaid. If we attempt to repay it, we would be rejecting God’s grace. Even when we minister to others, we do so by grace and become more in debt to God – needing more grace. In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.
We see a Biblical example of the “Pay It Forward” principle, in Romans 1:14-15, when Paul says, “14 I am under obligation [debt] both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Therefore, we, as Christians, are obligated to all people to pay the gospel forward because God has done something good for us – forgiven us and reconciled us to Himself through Jesus’ death and resurrection. God has made you the beneficiary of something (the Gospel) that is meant to benefit everyone.
This Thanksgiving holiday, Biblically pay forward the Gospel by declaring it to at least one person (for all people need to desperately embrace it).
Happy Thanksgiving,