Giving Thanks Even When You Don't Feel Like It

June 29, 2023

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV). In every circumstance give thanks—because it’s God’s will for your life. That’s real gratitude.

How can you be thankful even in difficult circumstances?

You can thank God in every circumstance because these things are

true, no matter what you’re going through: He is in control. He can

bring good out of evil. He can turn around the worst mistakes you’ve

made. No matter what happens, God isn’t going to stop loving you.

You can find a hundred things to be thankful for in any circumstance, even when the circumstance is hard, bad or unplanned.

You don’t have to be thankful FOR the bad circumstance, but you can

choose to still have a heart of gratitude IN the circumstance. You don’t

have to pretend to like your circumstance or fake it. In fact, don’t do

that! Unload your worries, fears and your pain on God.

The Bible says, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7

Be honest with God. He cares about you. But, then, no matter the

circumstance, choose to give thanks to him, because of who HE is. He is

worthy. 

Let us “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with

praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and

his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all

generations” (Psalm 100:4-5 NIV).

You could be like Paul and Silas in the following passage from

scripture. They praised God from a jail cell. They didn't have a

guarantee that they'd be released. Their circumstance was bleak. But,

the praised him anyway. Here's what God did...

^{Acts 16: 22-33}

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly

there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison

were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s

chains came loose. ²⁷ The

jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his

sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had

escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ³⁴ The

jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was

filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole

household.