Give Thanks on Purpose
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
The day before Thanksgiving can feel like a blur. There’s food to prep, people to host, and plans to finalize. In the middle of all the hustle, it’s easy to treat thankfulness like a side dish, something we serve up once a year before getting back to real life. But Scripture speaks differently. Gratitude is not a holiday mood. It is a lifestyle choice. It is the will of God for you, no matter what season you are in.
That means you don’t just give thanks when life feels easy or comfortable. You give thanks in all circumstances. That includes the ones that are messy, uncertain, or painful. It’s not about denying the hard parts. It’s about choosing to recognize God’s goodness in the middle of them. Gratitude redirects your focus. It shifts your heart from what’s missing to what’s already been given.
The verse doesn’t say to feel thankful in all things. It says to give thanks. That’s an action. It’s something you choose to do even when the emotions don’t follow right away. You might not feel thankful for the loss, the waiting, or the challenge, but you can still thank God for His presence, His promises, and His faithfulness through it.
As you head into this Thanksgiving, maybe your circumstances aren’t perfect. Maybe your table has some empty chairs this year. Maybe your heart is carrying some weight. But even so, you can still offer up praise. Not because everything is good, but because God still is.
Gratitude doesn’t grow by accident. You have to cultivate it on purpose. So before the turkey hits the oven, before the crowd shows up, and before the day rushes by, take time to give thanks. Not just for the blessings you can see, but for the God who never changes. That’s the kind of gratitude that lasts long after the holiday ends.
The day before Thanksgiving can feel like a blur. There’s food to prep, people to host, and plans to finalize. In the middle of all the hustle, it’s easy to treat thankfulness like a side dish, something we serve up once a year before getting back to real life. But Scripture speaks differently. Gratitude is not a holiday mood. It is a lifestyle choice. It is the will of God for you, no matter what season you are in.
That means you don’t just give thanks when life feels easy or comfortable. You give thanks in all circumstances. That includes the ones that are messy, uncertain, or painful. It’s not about denying the hard parts. It’s about choosing to recognize God’s goodness in the middle of them. Gratitude redirects your focus. It shifts your heart from what’s missing to what’s already been given.
The verse doesn’t say to feel thankful in all things. It says to give thanks. That’s an action. It’s something you choose to do even when the emotions don’t follow right away. You might not feel thankful for the loss, the waiting, or the challenge, but you can still thank God for His presence, His promises, and His faithfulness through it.
As you head into this Thanksgiving, maybe your circumstances aren’t perfect. Maybe your table has some empty chairs this year. Maybe your heart is carrying some weight. But even so, you can still offer up praise. Not because everything is good, but because God still is.
Gratitude doesn’t grow by accident. You have to cultivate it on purpose. So before the turkey hits the oven, before the crowd shows up, and before the day rushes by, take time to give thanks. Not just for the blessings you can see, but for the God who never changes. That’s the kind of gratitude that lasts long after the holiday ends.
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