Give thanks in every situation because this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CEB)

Our circumstances are often not our choosing. But we can still choose to give thanks in every situation. While our faith may be sorely tested, we must not be afraid or lose hope.

Learn to give thanks continually.

It will take our focus off ourselves and puts it rightly on God. Then we will have the assurance that God is sovereign, and He is working everything for our good and His glory.

Some people, however, lose their faith during a crisis. Either God is to blame, or God is not strong enough to fix it. They didn’t think life could be so difficult or unfair. The truth is we will always encounter differences and difficulties, but they can never, ever separate us from God's love.

The power behind our thanksgiving sets us free to embrace God’s purpose for our lives. It expresses the willingness to move forward with God despite not knowing what lies ahead.

When we turn our pain into prayer and turn our prayer into praise, we experience God’s liberating love freeing us from all oppressive fears and self-defeating thoughts.

In giving thanks, we remind ourselves that we are not helpless victims of life’s trials. In fact, we will realize that God’s purpose is not to cause us pain or suffering, even though these things happen to us all the time. Rather, God so often brings good out of our bad and thus empowered us to be more than conquerors in Christ who loves us. We don't just get through tough times, but we are also enriched by the experience and lessons learned.