5 Things to Thank God For When You Don't Feel Thankful

*Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

2020 has been a year of worldwide sorrow, suffering, and stress, loss, loneliness, and letdowns. Some of us have battled depression from inner turmoil and emotionally charged circumstances, and feel depleted, and done. It’s challenging to think of things to thank God for in the midst of disappointing, divisive, and difficult times.

But, as God’s daughters, we have a multitude of reasons to be grateful to God despite the difficulties of life. Here is a simple list of 5 things to thank God for when you don’t feel thankful.

Gratitude unleashes the freedom to live content in the moment, rather than being anxious about the future or regretting the past. ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Wolgemuth), Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy

Have you checked out this book yet? Click below to learn more!

5 Things to Thank God for When You Don’t Feel Thankful

His Word
His Spirit
His Son
His Gospel
His Grace

Thank God for His Word

We adopt an attitude of gratitude when we are sober-minded and have an eternal perspective of the issues of life. A sober mind comes from flooding your mind with God’s word and filtering everything through that truth. The word of God is the standard by which we measure everything, the absolute authority on every subject, and is the very mind of God himself.

Psalm 119:160 says Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. And Isaiah 40:8 says The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. God’s word is eternal, so we can trust it to be true, right, and good through every season of life, unlike our fickle feelings.

Having a reliable source of wisdom in a time of crisis and chaos is definitely a cause for thanksgiving to God!

Psalm 138:2~ I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Thank God for His Spirit

The Spirit of God, who indwells believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, is our Comforter, and the Spirit of truth. (John 14:16-17, John 15:26, John 16:7-14) The third person of the Trinity (1John 5:7), God the Spirit, teaches us the scripture and brings it to our remembrance when we need it. (John 14:26)

We would have no real power, love, joy, peace, or lasting comfort in our afflictions without the Spirit of God. But because we do have Him, we comfort others as we are comforted, and bring God the glory he deserves through our trials and tribulations.

The Holy Spirit also equips us with spiritual gifts to edify the body of Christ, and evangelize the lost world. It is the Spirit who works through us to teach the word, share the gospel, have hospitality, to serve our families, and minister to the needs of others. Being used by God as a vessel for grace and truth is an enormous blessing that we should thank God for.

Thank God for His Son

Even if our world falls apart, we always have Jesus to be grateful to God for. Jesus is better than anything we could ever ask for. He is our Savior, Redeemer, Brother, and Friend, who laid down his life for us, so we could be reconciled to God. (2Cor. 5:21)

Jesus, the beloved, and only begotten Son of God, left the glory of heaven, with all the honor and praise of the heavenly host, and humbled Himself to be born as a baby, in this wretched, sin-wrecked world. He relinquished his rights, held his tongue when he was reviled, and endured the shame of the cross for us. (Phil. 2:5-11, Hebrews 12:2, 1Pet. 2:21-24)

Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb, but also the Good Shepherd, the Light of the world, the Bread of life, and the resurrection and the life. Jesus is everything that we need and everything that our souls long for.

If everyone forsakes you, and you feel isolated and alone, remember that Jesus is always with you. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother, and he loves you fiercely. Call out to him, and find help and hope in Jesus Christ.

Praise God for giving us His Son!

1Corinthians 15:57~ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank God for His Gospel

The gospel- the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the best news ever! Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the world, including every single one of yours and mine. And he rose again from the dead, securing eternal life for all who believe. And His glorious resurrection proved his payment was accepted by God and the work of redemption was complete. Every believer has the assurance of their own resurrection because Jesus conquered the grave. Glory, hallelujah!

There may not be any good news coming from media sources, family members, or your employer, but praise God for the gospel! Jesus made a way for us to be free from sin and fulfilled in a relationship with God. A clean slate, a fresh start, and eternity in paradise is definitely something to thank God for.

Psalm 75:1~ Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee, do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Thank God for His Grace

Grace is defined as undeserved favor. God bestows blessings on us that we didn’t earn or deserve. His good hand is upon us because that is the kind of God he is. He is gracious, merciful, compassionate, and kind, and he loves us with an everlasting love.

It’s by the grace of God, through faith in the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ that we are born again into God’s kingdom of light. We are saved and sustained by the grace of God, and that is certainly something to thank God for.

Salvation is an astounding miracle that we should never lose awe over, and grace is something we should relentlessly thank God for. Share on X

1Corinthians 1:4~ I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

PIN BELOW TO SAVE FOR LATER!

Don’t Let the Devil Win

Satan wants to steal our praise, kill our joy, and destroy our peace. Naturally, when things are falling down around us, it’s difficult to feel thankful. But, there is always something to thank God for.

And remember, feelings are not facts. Just because you think it, or feel it, doesn’t mean it’s true. You may not feel thankful, but you can choose to be thankful. Thank God for everything you can think of and gratitude will displace your grumbling.

When I’m in stressful situations, I write down how I feel and why. Then I ask God for discernment to see any lies I believe. And then I replace those lies with the truth of scripture. This simple exercise renews my mind and shifts my perspective from the problems to the praises.

God gets the glory he deserves when we choose to praise God, instead of complaining about our circumstances.

Gratitude is a Lifestyle

These 5 things to thank God for are unchanging, unending, and unparalleled. Nothing compares to the awesomeness of God’s word, his Spirit, his Son, his gospel, and his grace!

There are so many more things to thank God for, like his creation, character, and love. What is on your gratitude list today?

Gratitude is a lifestyle. A hard-fought, grace-infused, biblical lifestyle. ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Wolgemuth), Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy

Author

Annie McGuire

Annie McGuire is a Bible teacher, ministry leader, pastor’s wife, and mom of four. She is the writer behind the website Daily His Disciple. Her ministry goal is to encourage and equip women to know, live, and invest the word of God. Annie writes devotions, bible studies, and for other websites. To connect with Annie visit: www.dailyhisdisciple.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
View all posts