May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ~ Colossians 1:11-12 (ESV)
The life of the Christian is to be marked by gratitude. And we are fortunate in that we have a specific person to whom we can express our thanks. Those who do not believe in God may have a sense that they do not really deserve their families, jobs, friends, or any of the good things that have come into their lives; but they are left to attribute their blessedness to luck, or fortune, or, even worse, their own abilities. Like Bart Simpson saying grace over a meal, “Lord, we got this food ourselves, so thanks for nothing”, no recognition is made of their dependence on the Creator who fashioned everything and provides the raw material for all human industry. So let us be thankful, for sure, but let us also be specific in whom we thank.