November brings cozy traditions, family gatherings, and the reminder to be thankful. But sometimes, this can be a difficult season and the last thing we want to do is be thankful. What do we do when we feel far from thankful?
When we’re walking through grief, uncertainty, burnout, or pain, giving thanks isn’t always natural, it’s a choice. The good news is that God doesn’t change with our seasons. He is faithful through every valley and on every mountaintop.
Whether your heart is full this month or you’re struggling to see anything worth celebrating, Scripture offers a way forward. God invites us not just to be thankful when things are going well, but to cultivate a lifestyle of thanksgiving that anchors us even in hardship. Here are five biblical truths to help you give thanks even when it feels hard.
1. Give Thanks in All Circumstances
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
This verse doesn’t say “for” all circumstances, but “in” them. Thankfulness is God’s will, not because He demands blind optimism, but because He knows it draws our eyes to Him. When we give thanks in the middle of our pain, we’re choosing worship over worry. We’re declaring that He is bigger than anything we face. Gratitude shifts our perspective from what’s wrong to the One who is with us, and that can change everything.
When thanksgiving is hard, be intentional to find something to be thankful for in every season.
2. Bring Your Burdens with Thanksgiving
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6
Anxiety leads us inward, we focus on our lack and current situation. Gratitude leads us upward to focus on God. In hard seasons, we tend to fixate on our problems or try to control outcomes. Paul urges us to bring it all to God with thanksgiving. We are not to be in denial, but acknowledge the problem and still look to Him and trust Him. We recognize the pain, but we also remember God’s presence is bigger than anything we may face. When we feel anxious, we can turn those thoughts into prayers and allow His peace to come as we look to Him.
When it is hard to be thankful, we can come to God honestly with what we are going through and how we feel while also being thankful that He is with us even in our burdens.
3. Enter His Presence with Thanksgiving
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
Psalm 100:4
If we want to feel closer to God, we must start with Thanksgiving. This verse reminds us that gratitude is a doorway into God’s presence. Even when life is hard, we can thank Him for His nearness, His promises, and His love. Thanksgiving doesn’t change God, but it changes us. It opens our eyes to see He’s been with us all along. That alone is worth celebrating.
When thanksgiving is hard, we must remember that when we are thankful, it draws us close to Him. In a hard season, that is the best place to be. It is worth the sacrifice to be close to Him.
4. Thank Him Through It All
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:20
This doesn’t mean we thank God for the brokenness in our world. Sin is what brings suffering, God does not. We thank Him in the middle of it. God redeems what is broken, and He walks with us through every trial. God promises to work all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). In every season, we can thank Him for being with us, maturing us, and preparing us for eternity with Him.
When giving thanks is hard, we must be thankful anyway. We can start by being grateful for the breath in our lungs, our family, or creation around us. We must thank Him through it all, and that comes by being intentional in our daily lives.
5. Let Gratitude Overflow to Others
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:15–17
As we let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts, thankfulness overflows. Whether through worship, encouragement, or small acts of kindness, our posture of thanksgiving can point others to the goodness of God. Your thankfulness, even in difficulty, can be the testimony someone else needs to keep going.
When we cultivate a lifestyle of thankfulness, it will be easier to be thankful in the valleys.
Cultivate Thanksgiving Daily
Giving thanks in hard seasons doesn’t come naturally, but it can be cultivated. Like planting seeds in dry ground, thankfulness takes intentionality. But over time, it will grow. Start small. Thank God for your breath, for His mercy, for His Word. As you do, your heart will begin to shift, and your eyes will see His goodness more clearly.
This month, whether you feel like celebrating or not, choose to give thanks, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day. Because God is with you. He is for you. And He is worthy of thanks in every season.