“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”-1 Thessalonians 5:18
In this verse, it doesn’t say that we should “feel” thankful.
This is a command. GIVE thanks in all circumstances.
When we praise or give thanks to God in difficult situations, it keeps us focused on God, not our trials. As we praise Him and give thanks to Him more and more, God becomes larger and our problems become smaller.
Gratitude and giving thanks changes the lens through which we see our circumstances. That is why the psalms call us to “magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name forever.”
The giving of thanks is also an act of faith. It is a confession that we are looking beyond the problem or difficulty to the One who will deliver the solution and we trust Him.
We see this in Jesus who set the example. We do this by, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
