Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

How can we practically "be thankful" in challenging circumstances? Colossians 3:15: "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful."

It has been said that only a grateful person can be happy. Even those who have gone through tremendous loss can attest to this. They point out that the key to their emotional survival has been to focus on​—not what they lost—​but what they have to be grateful for.

There is good reason to be thankful. Professor Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, says: "Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress, and to achieve a positive sense of self."

Time magazine adds: "People who describe themselves as feeling grateful... tend to have higher vitality and more optimism, suffer less stress, and experience fewer episodes of clinical depression than the population as a whole."

Colossians 3:15 urges believers to "let the peace of Christ rule" and to "be thankful." Paul is not asking for a mood or a forced optimism. He is describing a deliberate posture that grows out of recognising what Christ has already done. Thankfulness in difficult circumstances becomes possible when it is rooted in something deeper than the circumstances themselves.

Letting Christ's peace guide the inner response
Paul connects thankfulness to letting Christ's peace "rule," meaning it acts as the deciding influence in the heart. When pressure, fear, or disappointment rise, the believer intentionally lets Christ's settled peace outweigh the turmoil. This does not remove hardship, but it steadies the inner life so gratitude can emerge without the moment crushing it.

Remembering the larger story

Challenging circumstances often narrow attention to what hurts. Paul's instruction invites a wider view: Christ has reconciled believers to God, brought them into one body, and secured their future. Gratitude grows when we place the present difficulty within that larger reality. The hardship is real, but it is not the whole story.

Choosing small, concrete expressions of thanks

Thankfulness becomes practical when expressed in specific ways rather than as abstract feelings. This can include acknowledging a small provision, noticing a moment of relief, or recognising a person who offered support. These small acts anchor gratitude in daily life and prevent it from becoming vague or unreachable.

Allowing gratitude to shape relationships

Paul ties thankfulness to life within "one body." Gratitude in hardship often involves how one interacts with others: speaking gently, acknowledging their efforts, or refusing to let frustration spill into relationships. This relational gratitude strengthens community and keeps hardship from isolating the believer.

Viewing gratitude as an act of trust

In difficult circumstances, thankfulness becomes a declaration that God remains present and active even when the situation is unclear. It is not denial of pain but trust that God's character has not changed. This kind of gratitude is quiet, steady, and rooted in confidence rather than emotion.

Summarising the topic

To "be thankful" in challenging circumstances means letting Christ's peace guide the inner response, remembering the larger story of what He has done, practising small expressions of gratitude, allowing thankfulness to shape relationships, and treating gratitude as an act of trust rather than a feeling. It is a deliberate posture that grows from Christ's work, not from the ease of the moment.

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Donna Williams Supporter

Dear Anonymous, we are to be thankful by practicing it in our every day living. The apostle is also teaching us how we are to interact with one another as the body of Christ. 

In reading Colossians chapter 3, I noticed that the fruit of the Spirit is mentioned. 

The Apostle Paul is teaching us to allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts, and to be thankful. This can only be accomplished through the power of the Spirit. 

We are living through the new man which is Christ Jesus. It is Christ who strengthens and enables us to be thankful in times of trouble.

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