Christians should be some of the most thankful people in the world. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are told, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Exhortations to thankfulness occur approximately 50 times in the New Testament. As Christians we should be thankful that God continues to bless us with all the material things we need in this life. We should thank God that we live in a country where we can worship without fear. We should be thankful for the health that we enjoy and for access to the best medical care in the world when our health fails. Christians should be thankful for the love and support of fellow Christians.
We can even be thankful when things are not going well for us. In James 1:2-3 we read, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” In Hebrews 12:11 we see that it is not the bad things that happen to us themselves for which we should be thankful, but rather the opportunity to grow, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
And we should be most thankful for the willingness of Jesus to bear our sins on the cross that we might have an eternal home in heaven with Him. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17).