The book of I Thessalonians was written as a group letter from Paul, Silas and Timothy to the Thessalonian church. The whole letter is full of reminders to be thankful, but chapter 5 has always stood out to me as a reality check. Verses 16-18 read, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

For me, in all honesty, that passage has always been easier said than done. Even during a time of year such as Thanksgiving – when we are supposed to be extra-mindful of our blessings, it can be difficult to give thanks when times are tough. Studies have shown that maladies like depression peak during the holidays. How does that sort of news mesh with being thankful “in all circumstances”?

I would like to submit to you that there is always something for which to be thankful, even in the midst of uncanny turmoil.

There have been moments in life when the only thing I could think of to be thankful for was the fact that I was still alive. As time went on, I found more things to be grateful for, but even if there seems to be nothing in the actual circumstances to feel thankful about, there is one thing that is always certain: we serve a mighty God, and he is always worthy of our praise. I don’t mean that flippantly – God is still God, no matter what we are going through. Sometimes it’s a matter of perspective: Will the Earth fall out of orbit if your problem isn’t resolved? Will God lose his place on his throne? Does your difficult circumstance say more about God’s love for you or about the sinful world in which we live? Will we turn away from God or run to him?

We may not understand it at the time (or perhaps ever), but if we can think of nothing else to be thankful for, then we can thank him for creating us, loving us and establishing a plan to rescue us from ourselves. We live in a world contaminated with sin, but Creator God still cherishes us. When the world seems to be caving in on you, cling to the hope found in Christ. That is something to be thankful for!