Finding Joy in Every Circumstance

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

How can Christians practice gratitude in all circumstances? According to 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, biblical gratitude grows as believers rejoice in Christ, maintain continual fellowship with God through prayer, and remember His unchanging goodness. Gratitude does not require favorable circumstances. Instead, it helps us look beyond our difficulties and find lasting joy in our relationship with Christ.

Referring to these three exhortations from the Apostle Paul, the Scottish theologian and Bible translator James Moffat wrote: “To comment adequately on these diamond drops would be to outline a history of the Christian experience in its higher levels.”

How to Cultivate Gratitude in All Circumstances

What is it about living out these words that sets Christians apart and demonstrates the highest level of the Christian life? Most people look to their present circumstances—or a hoped-for change in them—for happiness. If circumstances seem favorable, they may feel not only happy but thankful and grateful. It’s right to conclude that joyfulness and thankfulness are twins. People who are joyful are more apt to be grateful. The two go hand in hand.

People who are joyful are more apt to be grateful. The two go hand in hand.

Although joy and thankfulness often travel together, circumstances still control the gratitude of most people. They are more likely to be thankful to God when they are happy about their circumstances. But there is a higher plane of Christian living that is not dependent upon earthly circumstances. There is a human way and a heavenly way to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

The human way says: if my circumstances are favorable, I can be happy and grateful; if they are unfavorable, I will grumble and complain. The heavenly way looks beyond present circumstances to derive joy and cultivate gratitude. There’s a heavenly joy that produces divine gratefulness which comes from planting our feet on higher ground rather than on our present circumstances. An old hymn beautifully captures this perspective:

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

The heavenly way looks beyond present circumstances to derive joy and cultivate gratitude.

How do we rise above our present circumstances so that gratitude does not ebb and flow with ever-changing conditions?

Rejoice Always: Finding Joy Beyond Your Circumstances

First, the Apostle Paul writes, “Rejoice always…” (v. 16). There are circumstances in life—the birth of a child, Thanksgiving dinner with family, getting the promotion you prayed for—that we ought to rejoice in. But Paul said, rejoice always. Does this mean a Christian should never feel sadness or pain? Of course not. Jesus Himself experienced pain and sorrow. Paul described his own experience as “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:10).

What made it possible for Paul to feel sorrow yet still find reasons to rejoice was that in times of pain he looked beyond his circumstances to Christ and the riches found in Him. This led him both to find joy and to give praise and thanksgiving to God (Acts 16:23-25). Paul could rejoice even in sorrow by looking to his relationship with Christ, to the hope he had in Christ, to the promise that Jesus works all things for good, and to the reality “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

Pray Without Ceasing: Finding Joy in Fellowship With God

Second, Paul exhorted believers to “pray without ceasing” (v. 17). Paul lived his life on a higher plane above his circumstances because he lived in constant communion with God. His greater joy was in his fellowship with Christ. Concerning this exhortation, David Guzik wrote: “There is significant value in a time where we shut out all other distractions and focus on God in closet prayer (Matthew 6:6). But there is also room—and great value—in every-moment-of-the-day fellowship with God. The use of the voice is not essential in prayer. The posture, place, and particular time of prayer are not of primary importance. A Christian should never be in a place where he could not pray.” We can rejoice always when we find our greatest joy in fellowship and communion with God through constant prayer.

We can rejoice always when we find our greatest joy in fellowship and communion with God through constant prayer.

Give Thanks in All Circumstances: Remembering God’s Goodness

Third and finally, Paul wrote, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (v. 18). It is important to note that the Apostle did not say give thanks for all circumstances, but in all circumstances. When depressed about difficult circumstances, our tendency is to fixate on our problems and think about them constantly. But thinking about problems constantly only makes them grow.

Notably, the word “thank” stems from the Latin “tongēre,” whose root means “think.” In order to give thanks we must remember what we are forgetting and think about what we should be thankful for. If you are feeling discontent or ungrateful, it could be that you are failing to remember God’s goodness and instead ruminating over your problems. Even in difficult times we can be thankful when we turn our attention to God and all that He has done for us in Christ.

As Daniel Henderson explained: “Our financial security, family situation, and personal health may change—but He never changes. When we give thanks, our hearts and minds are renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created us… Gratitude makes our theology real and practical every day. In gratitude we remember that while life may feel bad, God is still good—all the time. By choosing gratitude we are able to count our blessings rather than complain about our burdens.”

An Attitude of Gratitude That Lifts Us Higher

We can live on a higher plane above our circumstances by cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Commenting on this same passage, Charles Spurgeon said: “When joy and prayer are married, their first-born child is gratitude.”

Charles Spurgeon said: “When joy and prayer are married, their first-born child is gratitude.”

Paul concludes with: “…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” As David Guzik notes: “The thought isn’t, ‘This is God’s will, so you must do it.’ The thought is rather, ‘This is God’s will, so you can do it.’ It isn’t easy to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in every circumstance give thanks, but we can do it because it is God’s will.”

It’s been said, “Your attitude will determine your altitude.” Let us heed Paul’s exhortation and cultivate an attitude of gratitude by which the Lord will lift us up above our circumstances and plant our feet on higher ground.

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