How Do I Be Thankful When Life Is Hard?
Do you struggle with gratitude? Are circumstances in your life more difficult than you ever anticipated? If so, here are some ways to be thankful even when life is hard.
How do I be thankful when life is hard?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, Paul gives three imperative commands that define a God-centered life. He instructs the Thessalonian believers to “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Notice the totality of each action: When are we to rejoice? Always. How much should we pray? Constantly. When should we give thanks? In everything.
Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks are not just noble actions. They are to be a constant state of mind and Christian practice.
But how do we do this? How do we live in this constant state of rejoicing, praising, and giving thanks? What do we do when life is hard and tough circumstances squelch our joy?
The answer is to focus on Christ. Buck Parsons writes, “The imperatives of the Christian life—what we are called to do as we follow Christ by faith—are founded on and flow from the indicatives of the Christian life—who we are in Christ by faith.”[1]
When we focus on our situations, there will be times when rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks feel impossible, and having a positive mental focus will only do so much. But when we focus on Christ, we no longer give thanks because our situations are good. We give thanks because he is good.
If you’re struggling to have this mindset Paul writes about, take a few moments to readjust your perspective. Release any difficult circumstances you face today to God. Feel the harsh reality of what life is like in this sinful world. Then, shift your focus and pray about your situations through the lens of looking at Christ.
Because of Christ, you have all that you need. Because of Christ, you do not need to fear. Because of Christ, no amount of evil can thwart God’s plan for your life. This is reason to “rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything.”
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[1]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 5761.
