In his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, the apostle Paul challenged his readers to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). That sounds great in theory, but every human who’s ever lived understands the challenge of giving thanks. It’s one thing to be thankful when things are great. But when the heat gets turned up, our gratitude can evaporate.
Giving thanks in all circumstances isn’t natural, and it’s not easy. But Paul said it was God’s will for us. So, if we’re really going to develop a spirit of thanksgiving, we need to know what he was talking about—and what else God has to say about giving thanks.
What does it mean to “give thanks in all circumstances”?
In thinking through what it means to give thanks in all circumstances, it helps to understand a couple of key terms. First, we need to know what “thanks” or “thanksgiving” really means. The Greek word Paul used in 1 Thessalonians is eucharistos, which essentially means “gratitude.” Rather than encouraging entitlement, giving thanks nurtures an appreciation for who God is and what He’s done for us. Once we get a handle on that, we can respond with thankfulness—even in difficult situations.
Another important thing to understand is the difference between “in every circumstance” and “for every circumstance.” Sometimes, we think they’re synonymous, but the distinction is massive.
God never asks us to be grateful for all of our circumstances. He doesn’t want us to put on a fake face and pretend that our bad experiences are wonderful. Instead, we thank Him for being with us in every circumstance. We show appreciation and gratitude for His presence and His guidance in middle of our storms. And we trust Him to work behind the scenes for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
Once we understand what Paul was saying, we have to focus on making it happen. After all, practical application is a big deal in every part of the Christian life, including thankfulness. And as we begin the practice of giving thanks, it becomes a habit that gets easier over time.
As a bonus, being thankful, even in the hard stuff, has been associated with greater levels of happiness and other positive emotions. Appreciation reminds us to focus on our blessings and to recall that those blessings have a source bigger than ourselves. As believers, we understand that Source is God, which leads us to thank Him in every circumstance.
We can start focusing on thankfulness in three areas: the blessings God provides, the people He puts in our lives, and the future He has promised. It can be as simple as writing someone a thank-you note or keeping a journal of answered prayers. Like the old hymn challenges us, we really can count our blessings one by one.
It also helps to remember that we are not ultimately made for this world. As we give thanks in all circumstances, we know something better lies beyond the pain and frustration of this life. As we focus on the fact that this world doesn’t have the last word, we can put our selfishness to the side and be thankful.
What the Bible says
If you’re struggling with being thankful in every situation, Scripture is a great place to turn. The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks beyond 1 Thessalonians 5:18. For example, here are five verses about showing gratitude for who God is and what He does.
1. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 107:1, NIV). Scripture makes two things really clear about God: He is good, and He is love. We know He always has our back, regardless of our circumstances in the moment.
2. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6, NIV). Anxiety and fear belong to this world, not to our God. By making thanksgiving a regular part of our prayer life, we can lean into the peace He provides and learn to trust Him more.
3. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song (Psalm 28:7, CSB). When you aren’t sure where to turn, you can always turn to God. He longs to be your strength and your shield. He longs to bring light to your darkness and peace to your confusion.
4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalm 100:4, NIV). One of the greatest blessings of giving thanks is that it ushers us into God’s presence. When we show appreciation for who He is and what He has done, He promises to make Himself known.
5. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57, NIV). The greatest blessing God has ever provided was the gift of His Son. Regardless of what we’re experiencing, our salvation and our promise of eternity give us a reason to be thankful.
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Take time for thanksgiving
Several years ago, I had a long, late-night drive home after some business meetings in another state. I knew I’d be in the car for about three hours, so I decided I would use that time to thank God for the blessings in my life. I was curious to see just how long my list would be.
More than two hours into the trip, I was still going. And I probably could have gone on longer, but I was almost home.
I don’t share that story to pat myself on the back. I share it as proof that we all have plenty to be thankful for. And we can show our appreciation to God for who He is, what He has done, and even the situations we’d rather avoid.
We really can give thanks in every circumstance.
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