What Does It Mean to Have Radical Gratitude?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I read, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

The more deeply I understand God’s love, the more grateful I will become.

In fact, the Bible says that gratitude should saturate my life: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

Notice that the Bible says to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. There is a big difference!

I do not have to be thankful for the bad things that happen in life. Not everything that happens in the world is God’s will. In fact, most of the time, God’s will is not done here on Earth; instead, people’s will is done.

There’s a lot of evil in the world, and I don’t need to thank God for that. But I can thank God in the midst of it.

In my own life, I’ve learned that I can thank God in every circumstance. Here are some reasons why:

God is in control.

God can bring good out of evil.

God can turn even my mistakes into something that works out well; he can bring good out of them.

I won’t live on Earth forever; I’m going to heaven one day.

I can’t lose my salvation.

No matter what happens, God isn’t going to stop loving me.

The truth is that I could think of a hundred reasons to be thankful in any circumstance, even circumstances that seem horrible.

Look again at 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV). It says I should give thanks to God “in all circumstances.” The Greek word used is the word pos, which means any, all, everything, anyone, all the time, anywhere, everywhere, the whole thing. It means no exceptions, no excuses, and no exemptions.

That seems pretty radical, doesn’t it? That’s why it’s radical gratitude.

It doesn’t take any effort to be grateful for the nice present someone just gave me. Anyone can do that. But being grateful in all circumstances takes radical gratitude.

People say they want to know God’s will. They want to know what God wants them to do with their lives. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, God makes that very clear: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Giving thanks in all situations is God’s will for me. And the more thankful I am, the closer I’ll get to God!

In summary, the more deeply I understand God’s love, the more grateful I will become.

In fact, God’s Word tells me that gratitude should saturate my life. God’s Word says to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. There is a big difference! I do not have to be thankful for the bad things that happen. Not everything that happens in the world is God’s will. In fact, most of the time, God’s will is not done here on Earth; instead, people’s will is done. There’s a lot of evil in the world, and I don’t need to thank God for that. But I can thank God in the midst of it. I can thank God in every circumstance. Here are some reasons: 1). God is in control. 2). God can bring good out of evil. 3). God can turn even my mistakes into something that works out well; he can bring good out of them. 4). I won’t live on Earth forever; I’m going to heaven one day. 5). I can’t lose my salvation. 6). No matter what happens, God isn’t going to stop loving me. Looking again at 1 Thessalonians 5:18, It says I should give thanks to God “in all circumstances.” The Greek word used is the word pos, which means any, all, everything, anyone, all the time, anywhere, everywhere, the whole thing. It means no exceptions, no excuses, and no exemptions. That seems pretty radical and that’s why it’s radical gratitude. It doesn’t take any effort to be grateful for the nice present someone just gave me. But being grateful in all circumstances takes radical gratitude. People say they want to know God’s will. They want to know what God wants them to do with their lives. Giving thanks in all situations is God’s will for me. And the more thankful I am, the closer I’ll get to God!

My joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with my circumstances or feelings. Obeying three commands, to be joyful, never stop praying, and to be thankful, often go against my natural inclinations. However, when I make a conscious decision to do what God says, I will begin to see people in a new perspective. Doing God's will makes it easier to be joyful and thankful.