This past week, as I was teaching our Adult Sunday School group, we got into a discussion of what it means to: “…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes. 5:18)

As we talked about how hard that can be sometimes and why, we also talked about ways to make it easier. First, I emphasized the big difference a small preposition can make, pointing out that this instruction refers to “in” all circumstances, not “for” them!

The Lord would never be so heartless and uncaring as to demand us to thank Him for that which is evil, harmful, unkind, unjust, etc. Bad stuff is bad stuff, and we shouldn’t pretend to feel otherwise in order to please what we perceive is a capricious God.

But we can thank Him in the midst of rough and grievous times for the good He can bring from them. That’s where we cling to verses like Rom. 8:28–

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

If nothing else, even if it takes longer than we’d like to find out what that good is, we can always count on His ultimate purpose, stated in the next verse:

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Rom. 8:29).

In other words, if nothing else, we know He can use this to make us more like Jesus, and we always win with that!

At the same time, it helps us get through the hard stuff and give thanks in it if we can see some other good as well. Here’s where the “at least” principle comes in:

When we’re going through the illness, the injury, the rejection, the deprivation, the big disappointment, the loss, anything that causes pain— think of an “at least…” it reminds us of. Or, if we can’t think of any, ask the Lord to bring something to mind.

For example—“Man, it stinks being sick and not being able to travel with my friends. But at least I’m not in the hospital!

Or, “We live too far from our grandkids– we hardly ever get to see them! But at least we’re all in the same country!”

Or, “Wow, I sure wish they’d chosen me for that role! But at least I won’t be weighed down by all the demands that go with it, and will still be able to relax and enjoy time with my family!”

Or, “This job has really gotten boring. But at least I have a job, while so many others are getting laid off!”

Or, maybe the converse of that—“Bummer, I got laid off! But at least it gave me the push I needed to upgrade my resume and look for work that fits my values and skills better, unlike the dead-end job I was afraid to give up!”

This can work for anything—for marriage, singleness, family relationships, the weather (“Well, at least I’m not sweltering in the heat!”, during a major snowstorm)—you name it, there’s always an “at least” we can be thankful for!

It worked for me when I injured myself in early Dec., and couldn’t go out for a walk for six weeks—“At least it happened when it’s too cold to enjoy anyway!”

Or, “I can’t stand living next to a city—too crowded and dirty! But at least I’m not living in or near a worse city, like New York!” For real, this has actually worked for me! And any of you “city slickers” can do this in reverse—“Bummer, I have to live in this boring town! But at least I’m not ‘out in the sticks’ with only hay and cows for neighbors!”

Try it next time you’re in a circumstance that’s anywhere from mildly annoying to very distressing. Hopefully you can think of more positive outcomes as well, better than just avoiding a worse negative. But, if nothing else, at least there’s always an “at least…”!