Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Most of us think about thankfulness backward.
We wait for something good to happen, something worth being grateful for, and then we express thanks. Thankfulness becomes a response—a natural reaction to receiving a blessing, experiencing something positive, or having things go our way.
But 1 Thessalonians 5:18 flips that script entirely. Paul doesn’t say “give thanks for good circumstances” or “be grateful when things work out.” He says give thanks in all circumstances—and then adds that this is actually God’s will for us.
This verse has fundamentally changed how I understand thankfulness. It’s moved gratitude from being a reaction to being a practice. And that shift has made all the difference.
The Problem With Reactive Thankfulness
When thankfulness is purely reactive—when we only feel grateful in response to good things—it creates a fragile emotional state entirely dependent on circumstances.
Good things happen: I’m thankful. Bad things happen: I’m not. Life is boring and nothing notable occurs: I forget to be thankful at all.
This kind of thankfulness is real, but it’s limited. It comes and goes based on external factors I can’t control. And it means I spend significant portions of my life in a state of ingratitude simply because things aren’t going particularly well.
I’ve lived this way for years without realizing it. I’d be genuinely grateful when prayers were answered, when things worked out, when I received blessings. But the moment circumstances shifted—when disappointment came, when prayers seemed unanswered, when life felt hard—thankfulness would evaporate.
Paul’s instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 challenged me: what if thankfulness isn’t supposed to be dependent on my circumstances at all?
What “In All Circumstances” Actually Means
Let’s be clear about what Paul is and isn’t saying here.
He’s not saying “be thankful for all circumstances.” Some circumstances are genuinely terrible—loss, suffering, injustice, pain. Paul isn’t asking us to pretend those things are good or to be grateful that they happened.
The Greek preposition Paul uses is en, which means “in” or “in the midst of.” He’s saying give thanks while you’re in all circumstances, not because of all circumstances.
This is a crucial distinction. I don’t have to be thankful for the hardship, the disappointment, or the suffering. But I can practice thankfulness in the midst of those things—thankfulness for what remains true about God even when circumstances are difficult.
In the midst of disappointment: I can be thankful that God’s plans are bigger than my understanding.
In the midst of loss: I can be thankful for what was, for memories, for God’s presence in grief.
In the midst of uncertainty: I can be thankful that God’s character doesn’t change even when everything else feels unstable.
In the midst of ordinary, unremarkable days: I can be thankful for the steady, unnoticed blessings that fill normal life.
This kind of thankfulness isn’t about denying reality or forcing positivity. It’s about choosing to notice what’s still true, still good, still worth gratitude—even when circumstances aren’t ideal.
Why This Is God’s Will for Us
Paul doesn’t just command thankfulness—he tells us this is “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
That phrase has stuck with me. Of all the things God could specify as His will, why thankfulness in all circumstances?
I think it’s because thankfulness fundamentally shapes how we see reality.
When I practice reactive thankfulness—only being grateful when things go well—I’m essentially saying that God’s goodness and my circumstances are the same thing. If my life is going well, God is good. If my life is hard, God’s goodness becomes questionable.
But practicing thankfulness in all circumstances trains me to separate God’s character from my circumstances. It teaches me that God’s goodness, faithfulness, and love are constants that exist independent of whether my life feels blessed in any given moment.
This isn’t just good theology—it’s spiritually stabilizing. It means my sense of God’s goodness doesn’t have to rise and fall with every change in my life. It remains steady because it’s rooted in who God is, not in what’s happening to me.
The Shift From Feeling to Practice
Here’s what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 has taught me: thankfulness is less about a feeling and more about a practice.
I used to think I was only genuinely thankful if I felt grateful. If the warm, appreciative feeling was there, then I was being thankful. If it wasn’t, then expressing thanks felt fake or forced.
But Paul frames thankfulness as something we do—”give thanks”—regardless of whether the feeling is present. It’s an active choice, a deliberate practice, a discipline we cultivate.
Some days, I feel naturally grateful. Life is good, blessings are obvious, and thankfulness flows easily. Those are wonderful days.
Other days, I feel frustrated, disappointed, or just flat. Nothing particularly bad has happened, but I’m not feeling especially grateful either. On those days, choosing to give thanks anyway isn’t being fake—it’s practicing what Paul instructs.
Morning Thankfulness When I Don’t Feel It
I’ve started a simple practice: every morning, before I check my phone or get caught up in the day’s demands, I name three things I’m thankful for.
Some mornings, they come easily: my wife, my health, the sunrise visible through the bedroom window.
Other mornings, I’m not feeling particularly grateful. I’m tired, or stressed about the day ahead, or just not in a thankful mood. On those mornings, I name three things anyway.
“I’m thankful for coffee.” “I’m thankful the car started yesterday and probably will today.” “I’m thankful I slept, even if it didn’t feel like enough.”
The things I’m thankful for don’t have to be profound. They just have to be true. And the practice of naming them—even when I don’t feel warm gratitude—is slowly training me to notice gifts instead of defaulting to complaints.
Thankfulness as Interruption to Negativity
I’ve also noticed that my default mental state tends toward noticing what’s wrong, what’s lacking, what could be better. It’s not that I’m particularly negative—it’s just that problems are usually more obvious than blessings.
Practicing thankfulness in all circumstances has become a way of interrupting that default negativity.
When I catch myself mentally cataloging everything that’s frustrating or difficult, I’ll deliberately pause and name something I’m grateful for. Not to dismiss the real problems, but to keep them from becoming my entire perspective.
“Yes, this situation is frustrating. I’m also thankful I have people who care enough to work through it with me.”
“Yes, money is tight right now. I’m also thankful for what we do have and that we’ve managed tighter seasons before.”
“Yes, this day has been exhausting. I’m also thankful my body is capable of work and that I have meaningful things to exhaust me.”
This isn’t toxic positivity—it’s perspective correction. It’s refusing to let difficulties erase awareness of blessings.
Thankfulness in Small Town Life
Living in a small town has taught me specific lessons about practicing thankfulness in all circumstances.
Small town life can feel limited. There aren’t as many options, opportunities, or exciting things happening. It’s easy to develop a mindset of “if only”—if only I lived somewhere with more to do, more opportunities, more of whatever I think is lacking here.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 has challenged that mindset. Instead of being thankful for the life I wish I had, can I be thankful in the midst of the life I actually have?
I’m thankful for knowing my neighbors by name, even when that visibility sometimes feels intrusive. I’m thankful for the slower pace, even when I’m tempted to think nothing interesting happens here. I’m thankful for deep roots in one place, even when I wonder what life would be like somewhere else.
Practicing thankfulness in all circumstances means receiving the actual circumstances of my life—not the imagined ones—as the context where gratitude can grow.
Three Layers of Thankfulness I’m Learning
As I’ve practiced this verse over time, I’ve noticed my thankfulness has developed different layers. Each one is valid, but they go progressively deeper.
Layer One: Thankfulness for Specific Blessings
This is the most obvious level—being grateful for particular good things: health, relationships, provisions, answered prayers, beautiful moments, unexpected gifts.
“I’m thankful my wife laughed at my terrible joke.” “I’m thankful for this unseasonably warm day in November.” “I’m thankful the difficult conversation went better than I feared.”
This level of thankfulness is important. God does give us specific blessings, and noticing them is good and right.
Layer Two: Thankfulness for What Remains Steady
This level goes a bit deeper—being grateful for what’s consistently true even when circumstances change.
“I’m thankful that even though I’m going through a hard season, I still have people who check on me.” “I’m thankful that even though this prayer hasn’t been answered the way I hoped, God is still listening.” “I’m thankful that even though today was difficult, tomorrow is a fresh start.”
This thankfulness acknowledges difficulty while recognizing what persists through it.
Layer Three: Thankfulness for Who God Is
This is the deepest level—gratitude rooted not in circumstances or even in what God does, but in who God is.
“I’m thankful that God is faithful, whether I see evidence of it today or not.” “I’m thankful that God’s love doesn’t depend on my circumstances being good.” “I’m thankful that God’s character is unchanging even when everything in my life feels unstable.”
This level of thankfulness is what allows us to genuinely give thanks “in all circumstances”—because it’s not dependent on circumstances at all.
When Forced Gratitude Becomes Harmful
I need to address something important: there’s a difference between practicing thankfulness in difficult circumstances and using gratitude to suppress legitimate pain or problems.
Some Christian circles promote a kind of forced gratitude that’s actually harmful. It says you should be so thankful for what you have that you never acknowledge difficulty, never express disappointment, never admit when something is wrong.
That’s not what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is calling for.
The Psalms are full of lament—honest cries to God about suffering, injustice, and pain. Biblical thankfulness doesn’t require pretending everything is fine.
I can be thankful for God’s faithfulness while also being honest that I’m struggling. I can practice gratitude while also naming legitimate problems that need to be addressed. I can give thanks in all circumstances while also acknowledging that some circumstances are genuinely terrible and need to change.
Thankfulness and honesty aren’t opposites. They’re meant to coexist.
The Transformation That Happens Over Time
I won’t pretend that practicing 1 Thessalonians 5:18 has made me into some perpetually grateful person who never complains or feels ungrateful. That’s not realistic, and it’s not what’s happened.
But something is shifting—slowly, incrementally, over time.
I notice blessings more quickly than I used to. The good things don’t slip by unnoticed as often. And when they do, I’m more likely to circle back and acknowledge them.
I spiral into negativity less frequently. When I start dwelling on everything that’s wrong, I catch myself sooner and deliberately redirect toward what’s also true—including what I can be grateful for.
I’m less dependent on circumstances for my sense of wellbeing. My emotional state still fluctuates based on what’s happening, but there’s something more stable underneath now—an awareness that God’s goodness exists whether my circumstances reflect it clearly or not.
These shifts didn’t happen because I mastered gratitude. They happened because I’ve been practicing it—imperfectly, inconsistently, but persistently—in all kinds of circumstances.
Connecting Your Emotions to Scripture
Thankfulness is just one of many emotions that Scripture speaks to. Whether you’re experiencing gratitude, anxiety, loneliness, anger, joy, or sadness, there’s biblical wisdom available for what you’re feeling.
Sometimes the challenge is knowing where to look. That’s why I created The Bible Jar—a simple tool that connects specific emotions to relevant Bible verses. When you want God’s word to speak into your current emotional state but aren’t sure which passage to turn to, it can help you find what you need.
What I’m Still Learning About Thankfulness
Here’s what I know after years of trying to live 1 Thessalonians 5:18: I’m not naturally good at this.
My default isn’t gratitude—it’s noticing problems, dwelling on what’s lacking, mentally rehearsing frustrations. Thankfulness doesn’t come naturally to me. It has to be practiced, deliberately and repeatedly.
But that’s actually encouraging. Because it means thankfulness isn’t reserved for people who are naturally optimistic or who have particularly blessed lives. It’s available to anyone willing to practice it—including pessimists, including people in hard circumstances, including those of us who have to work at it.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Not just in good circumstances. Not just when you feel like it. Not just when it’s easy.
In all circumstances.
That’s the practice. That’s the invitation. That’s what I’m still learning to do—one circumstance at a time.