“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18
It is easy for me to talk about gratitude when life is cooperating. When the people I love are doing well, when prayers seem to be getting answered, and when I can see at least a little bit of what God is doing, thankfulness comes pretty naturally. But when life gets hard, gratitude can feel like work.
I have felt that tension with my health, particularly with the ongoing issues with my neck. There have been appointments, procedures, seasons of relief, and then times when the pain or limitations remind me that this is still something I am dealing with. I would love to tell you that I have walked through all of it with a consistently grateful attitude, but that would not be true. There have been plenty of days when I have been frustrated with my body and tired of having to think about my neck at all. Maybe that is why the word cultivate feels so fitting to me.
A grateful heart is a lot like a garden. You do not plant something one day and wake up the next morning to find everything fully grown. A garden has to be tended. It needs water and attention. Weeds have to be pulled before they crowd out what we actually want to grow. Sometimes we keep showing up and tending the soil even when we cannot see much happening beneath the surface. I think gratitude works much the same way. Some seasons make it easy to see what is good. In other seasons, frustration, fear, disappointment, or exhaustion can grow pretty quickly if I am not careful. Cultivating gratitude does not mean those feelings are not real. It means I am learning not to let them become the only things growing in my heart.
That is what draws me to Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” I especially notice the word in. Paul does not tell us to give thanks for every circumstance. That distinction matters to me. I do not have to be thankful for neck pain. I do not have to pretend I enjoy doctor appointments, procedures, uncertainty, or the frustration of my body not always doing what I want it to do. Gratitude does not require me to call something good that is genuinely difficult. But I can still give thanks for it.
There have been times when I have had to intentionally notice what is still good while dealing with something I wish God would simply take away. I can be thankful for the days when I feel better than I did before. I can be grateful for people who care for me when I am struggling. I can recognize the ways God has given me strength for another day, even when that day did not look exactly the way I wanted it to. And sometimes gratitude is even simpler than that. Sometimes it is sitting with God and saying, “I really do not like this. I am tired of dealing with it. But thank You for being here with me.”
For me, that is what cultivating gratitude during a trial has begun to look like. It is not forcing myself to put a positive spin on something painful. It is learning to notice that the painful thing is not the only thing that is true. My neck can hurt, and God can still be good. I can be frustrated with what my body is doing and still recognize the ways God is caring for me. I can pray for healing and change while also thanking Him for how He is sustaining me today.
That kind of gratitude usually does not grow overnight. Like a garden, it grows as we keep tending it. Each time we choose to notice God's goodness in the midst of something difficult, we plant another small seed. And maybe that is what Paul is inviting us to do when he tells us to give thanks in all circumstances—not to be thankful that the trial came, but to keep looking for the God who remains faithful while we walk through it.
Let's pray ...
Father,
Thank you for meeting me in the hard places. You know the things I am tired of carrying, the prayers I am still waiting to see answered, and the circumstances I wish were different. Help me to be honest with You about what hurts without allowing the hard things to become the only things I see
Teach me to notice Your goodness in the middle of what I would not have chosen. When gratitude does not come naturally, help me cultivate it by remembering that You are still present, still faithful, and still caring for me. Give me eyes to recognize the small ways You are sustaining me each day, and remind me that I do not have to be thankful for every trial in order to be thankful for who You are within it.
Thank you for staying with me, even here.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Feel like digging a little deeper? Here is a wonderful resource to meet you right where you are. 5 Comforting Psalms for When We Worry: A Guided Reflection Journal
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/DjelicS
— 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Jessica Ward is a Christian writer, speaker, Bible teacher, and author of Broken Can Be Beautiful: Embracing New Beginnings. She serves as a Bible Study Fellowship Teaching Leader and is passionate about helping women recognize God’s presence in every season, especially in places of waiting, grief, change, and spiritual renewal. Through her writing, speaking, and online ministry, Jessica encourages women to return to the Lord with honesty, hope, and trust in His unfailing grace. She writes at jessward.org and shares biblical encouragement through her newsletter, videos, and social media. Jessica lives in New Mexico with her husband, Chet, and loves being a wife, mom, and Branny (grandmother).
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Originally published Friday, 13 November 2026.
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