Family, friends, health. Toys, gadgets, food. A heated house, a widescreen TV, Rock & Roll music.
What are you thankful for?
If you mention any of these at the Thanksgiving table this year, I won’t judge. God smiles at a grateful heart and, personally, I’m very thankful for Rock & Roll. But while you’re listing the little blessings in life, why not thank him for a few really huge ones? It’s the essential truths of the Christian faith that make you who you are and give meaning to your life. If these are all you have, you are more richly blessed than many of those with billions in their pockets.
Those who want to develop an attitude of gratitude, consider these seven truths Christian teens can thank God for.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
In This Article
1) Genesis 1:1: A Real God
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
How would you like to see your name written on a tiny piece of paper and tossed into a giant glass ball with countless others while a hand draws a single one? Think of the Mega Millions lottery or the reaping in the Hunger Games.
If God did not exist, this is essentially how your fate is decided.
If God did not exist, this is essentially how your fate would be decided.
Pure luck becomes your only hope to change a bleak future. Remember that when you’re huddled in the basement while an EF-5 tornado bears down on your home, or when you’re trapped behind enemy lines in a full-scale assault on your soul.
Your fate rests not in the uncertainty of chance or luck but in the hands of a loving, almighty God who really, truly loves you.
Grappling with the existence of God? Check out Is it a Leap of Faith to Believe in Jesus?
2) Isaiah 43:4: Unconditional Love
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”
It’s not enough to know God exists. To truly see your life change, you also must know just how much he loves you.
I mean, really loves you.
It’s not enough to know God exists. To truly see your life change, you also must know just how much he loves you.
I am convinced most of us are completely unaware of just how deep God’s love flows for each of us as individuals. Because if we did, our actions, our words, even our thoughts would be permanently altered. But this is one of the key essential truths of the Christian faith, setting it apart from nearly ever other religion. He’s not the cruel tyrant some portrayed by some belief systems, nor is he the benevolent grandfather who feels a benign fondness for you. This is radical love at it’s highest intensity.
Ever find yourself doubting God’s love? How to Really, Truly Know God Loves You
3) Luke 2:10-11: Broken Chains
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
You might not have a slave driver standing behind you with a whip, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a slave. Lust, fear, hatred, greed, self-loathing, and power all make menacing slave drivers, even more so than actual human tyrants because most of the time you don’t even know they’re driving you.
You might not have a slave driver standing behind you with a whip, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a slave.
On your own, you cannot break free from such masters.
That’s why the best Christmas gift of all came the very first Christmas in the form of a tiny baby born in humble surroundings: your Savior. You didn’t have to wait outside the store in the freezing cold with 200 other shoppers or place him on layaway while you scrounge up the money to buy him. He came of his own free will, no charge, no strings attached, no buy-now-pay-later schemes.
And then he hung on a cross, breaking your chains for good so you don’t have to fight a futile battle on your own.
Need Jesus to fight your battles? The Battle’s Already Been Won…
4) John 19:30: Debts Paid in Full by Jesus
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Imagine paying off a crushing load of debt only to find you still have fees and interest to pay for. This is where many Christians get it wrong. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he meant it. Your debt of sin has been paid in full by Jesus and you can do nothing else to close the account. Volunteer work, giving to charity, following rules, saying one thousand Hail Marys—none of that is needed as payment because you have no more debt.
Let me say it again: There is nothing you must do to pay for your sins because they have been paid in full by Jesus. It is finished. Now there’s something Christian teens can thank God for.
Struggling with the whole debts-paid-in-full thing? Check out What is the Hardest Thing to Believe About Christianity?
5) Matthew 28: 5-6: Total Conquest
“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
What if Jesus had stayed in the grave? He isn’t the first to give his life for someone else, and he certainly wasn’t the last. A mother pushes a child out of the path of a speeding truck but is killed in the impact. A climber cuts himself from a string of climbers before the weight can pull them all down. A soldier takes a bullet to the head so that you don’t have to go to war. Heroic as they were, all these people stayed dead after their sacrifice.
At least in bodily form.
What if Jesus had stayed in the grave?
But here’s what’s really cool. Because Jesus broke free from the grave, that mother, that climber, and that soldier may very well all be alive today, enjoying an eternal life where death has no reach.
And you, regardless of how unheroic you may feel, will one day join them. Let that essential truth fuel your attitude of gratitude!
Learn more about your salvation in Resurrection Hope: Because He Rose, You Will Rise Too!
6) Psalm 62:1-2: Unshakable Ground
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”
Like Buddhists, Muslims, Atheists, and everybody else in the world, Christians have bad days and dark years, too. One huge difference, however, sets us apart from everyone else:
Even during your worst day or darkest night, you are never alone.
Even during your worst day or darkest night, you are never alone.
You’re standing on the rock of Jesu. While the rest of the earth quakes, you have a solid ground under your feet and a fortress to hide in during the attacks on your soul. The storm will not catch you out in the open. Your life may be in tumult, but your soul has a place of refuge. Christian Teens can thank God that those who put their faith in Jesus have this amazing gift.
Feeling alone and scared? Where to Look in Scripture During Your Darkest Nights.
7) Revelations 5:11-12: Unfathomable Awesomeness
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’”
You will live forever and your life will have meaning.
I couldn’t think of a better word than “awesomeness” because the English language has no words powerful enough to describe this scene. All I know is that someday, I will be there, singing with these angels at the throne of God because he has opened the gates of heaven for peons like you and me. We won’t be like poor, forlorn shoppers staring into the windows of New York City’s Oscar de la Renta (said to be the most expensive store in the United States), wishing we could afford what’s inside.
We’ll be right in the thick of it, enjoying immeasurable luxury and beauty. As a believer, you will live forever and your life will have meaning. Yet another thing Christian teens can thank God for.
Wondering what’s so exciting about heaven? Look Forward to Eternity: The Best is Yet to Come.
Christian Teens Can Thank God For All Things
You don’t have to have all the answers.
but, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Is this list of truths Christian Teens can thank God for too short for you? Check out 16 Awesome Things Christian Teens Can Take Pride In. And let the essential truths of the Christian faith fuel your attitude of gratitude, not just Thanksgiving, but every day of the year with these posts:
- From Silence to Song: How to Find Your Heart of Praise
- “I Think It’s Gonna Be a Great Day!” 4 Bible Truths for Bad Days
- Be Grateful, Not Entitled: Always Say Thank You
- A Heart of Gratitude: More Than Just Thanksgiving Day
Be inspired by the attitude of gratitude in this article on thankfulness written by a teen.
Happy Thanksgiving, and may you always own an attitude of gratitude toward your Lord!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Lauren. Thanks for sharing these inspirational verses and for your ministry. We have so many blessings to be thankful for and of course, you are one of those blessings. Love and hugs to all.
Love and hugs to you as well!
Thank you, Lauren for expressing the many things we are blessed with all because of God’s grace. Above all the blessing of our God who has given his One and only Son and did it all for us. In humble gratitude, we give thanks. God Bless you and your family this Thanksgiving and always. Thank you for all of your Christian writings. Happy Thanksgiving! ????♥️✝️
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