Give Thanks In Everything
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
When Paul wrote the words of today’s key verse, he was writing a letter to provide encouragement to believers who were enduring persecution. He did not want the believers then, and does not want us now, to allow what we’re going through to cause us to lose hope. For it is God’s will that even when life gets tough, we remain thankful.
Now, maybe you’re really struggling right now. Maybe you’re not sure how to be thankful because it seems like you’ve lost everything. You’ve been let go from your job. Money is tight. Relationships are strained, and life is overall pretty difficult right now. So you might be asking, “How am I supposed to be thankful for all of that?”
But what you need to take note of in Paul’s words is that he doesn’t say to give thanks “for” all circumstances. He says to give thanks “in” all circumstances. That’s a subtle yet significant distinction. God is not asking us to give thanks for all of the trails that we go through, but he is asking us to give thinks in the midst of the trial.
This is what Paul modeled for us so well throughout his life. We find him constantly throughout Scripture giving thanks despite his less than ideal circumstances. At one point he writes to the church at Philippi and says, “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). The irony of that statement is that Paul was in prison at the time, but he doesn’t let his negative situation impact his attitude or his gratitude.
Let’s all follow Paul’s lead and learn to be grateful in every circumstance. When you’re down, give thanks. When you’re broken, give thanks. When you’re disappointed, give thanks. Because giving thanks, Paul says, is God’s will for our lives. For when we are grateful, our attitude is transformed, and our focus is shifted beyond our circumstances. Let’s all practice being more thankful, and let’s see what it does to our perspective.
When Paul wrote the words of today’s key verse, he was writing a letter to provide encouragement to believers who were enduring persecution. He did not want the believers then, and does not want us now, to allow what we’re going through to cause us to lose hope. For it is God’s will that even when life gets tough, we remain thankful.
Now, maybe you’re really struggling right now. Maybe you’re not sure how to be thankful because it seems like you’ve lost everything. You’ve been let go from your job. Money is tight. Relationships are strained, and life is overall pretty difficult right now. So you might be asking, “How am I supposed to be thankful for all of that?”
But what you need to take note of in Paul’s words is that he doesn’t say to give thanks “for” all circumstances. He says to give thanks “in” all circumstances. That’s a subtle yet significant distinction. God is not asking us to give thanks for all of the trails that we go through, but he is asking us to give thinks in the midst of the trial.
This is what Paul modeled for us so well throughout his life. We find him constantly throughout Scripture giving thanks despite his less than ideal circumstances. At one point he writes to the church at Philippi and says, “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). The irony of that statement is that Paul was in prison at the time, but he doesn’t let his negative situation impact his attitude or his gratitude.
Let’s all follow Paul’s lead and learn to be grateful in every circumstance. When you’re down, give thanks. When you’re broken, give thanks. When you’re disappointed, give thanks. Because giving thanks, Paul says, is God’s will for our lives. For when we are grateful, our attitude is transformed, and our focus is shifted beyond our circumstances. Let’s all practice being more thankful, and let’s see what it does to our perspective.
Subscribe Now for Free Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2026
January
When God Feels Silent but is Still at WorkHow to Rebound After a Crushing LetdownWhen Your World Falls Apart After You Did Everything RightGod Is Still Building Roads in the DesertThe Chapter That Comes After TraumaWhen Hope Feels GoneWhen Your Words Start Working Against YouGod’s Resume Is Bigger Than Your SituationWaiting on God is Not Doing NothingBefore Circumstances ChangeGetting In Your Bag When Life Feels UnfairWinning With a Bad HandOverlooked, Insulted, and Still ChosenPrepared in the Field Before the Giant AppearsYou Were Trained for This MomentTaking Off Armor That Does Not FitFormed in the Field, Not on the StageWhen the Battle Is Not Actually YoursWhen You Feel the Urge to Go Through God’s PhoneFaith After Disappointment Still CountsKeep Showing Up Even When You Are ConfusedLocked Doors Do Not Stop JesusWhen You Need an Encounter for YourselfDoubt as a DoorwaySaying What Hurts When God Is in the RoomWhere Faith and Fear CollideShutdown Does Not Mean FinishedWhen Opposition Shows Up Mid-ProgressBuilding Without Responding to the MockeryA Mind to Work in the Middle of WearinessThe Wall Rose Because the People Did Not Quit
February
When Faith Blocks the ViewThe Cost of Carrying the CrossPower Was Never the PointGod Meets You Where You AreFaith That Chooses People Over ProfitWhen the Cross Loses Its MeaningClearing the View So Christ Can Be SeenWhen Worry Becomes a Way of LifeGod Is Not Surprised by Bad LeadershipWhen God Writes on the WallGod Controls the ClockGod Is Watching the ScaleWhen God Writes the EndingYou Do Not Have to Carry This AloneWhen Life Feels Like a Jungle
2025
January
Plenty of RoomThankful for Your SeatWho God Invites to the TableThat’s the PointWe Do Not Have a Monopoly on GodStop Talking So LoudLet God Handle the Guest ListA Long-Awaited ReunionSeeing Jesus for YourselfIn Possession of a Personal PromiseGet in the Right PositionReady to ReceiveAligning Your Life for God's PromiseWaiting with ExpectancyGrounded in PrayerStrength in PrayerPatience Through PrayerStay Focused Through PrayerGod's Conditional PromisesGod’s PriorityGrounded in FaithTrusting God's TimingThe Assurance of God's PromisesIs It Well With Your Soul?Health vs. HealingStewarding Your BodyA Holistic View of SpiritualityGod Cares About Your BodyWhat You Put in MattersNourishing Your SoulThe Power of Prevention
February
The Power of a ComebackHealing from the PastStop Blaming and Start TrustingBury the Past to Claim the FutureFacing Trauma with TruthCelebrate That You SurvivedRepair What is BrokenNothing God Can’t FixDon’t Swing at Bad PitchesStick to God’s PlanDon’t Let Desperation Drive YouShift Your WeightWho Knows Best?A Good Idea Isn’t Always a God IdeaPeace in God’s PlanFinding Purpose in God’s PlanProsperity in God’s PlanTrusting God’s Plan, Pace, and ProcessKnowing When to PivotGod Hasn’t Given Up on YouNext-Level Faith Requires PerseveranceA New Revelation of GodIt’s Not All About You
No Comments