Gratitude Doesn’t Always Feel Easy… But God Is Still Good.
When Gratitude Feels Hard
Have you ever had one of those mornings where everything just… falls apart?
The coffee spills everywhere.
Your hair refuses to cooperate.
The weather feels like it’s working against you.
It’s the kind of morning that seems to announce, “This is exactly how the rest of the day is going to go.”
(And let’s be honest — it’s almost always a Monday.)
These are the mornings when gratitude feels the farthest away.
Or maybe it’s not the morning at all — maybe it’s the weight of the season you’re in.
The grief.
The overwhelm.
The quiet ache you can’t quite put into words.
And suddenly, the tension rises.
You know gratitude is good…
but you just can’t feel it today.
Gratitude doesn’t always feel easy… but God is still good.
The Pressure to “Feel Grateful”—And Why It Backfires
In the Christian circles, we can have this “toxic positivity” around the theme of gratitude. Do you know what I mean? The pressure to always be grateful. The pressure to not take anything for granted. But maybe we can walk in gratitude, without the pressure of feeling grateful for every little thing that comes our way. I think many of us can feel guilty when gratitude doesn’t come naturally for us. We can feel guilty when we don’t take every moment to speak our gratefulness. Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed. Maybe you are in the middle of transition. Maybe you are in a desert season right now. Gratitude doesn’t always come easy in these seasons. Gratitude is not a performance. It’s a posture that grows slowly.
My husband and I are coming up on six months of marriage. And while we’re still in that sweet, early season of learning each other, it hasn’t been as effortless as people often assume.
Our schedules are completely opposite — I work during the day, and he heads to work at 4 p.m. Most weekdays we feel like ships passing in the night. We get our weekends together, and we treasure them, but the in-between can still feel heavy.
We knew this would be our rhythm for a while, but knowing something is coming doesn’t make it easy. And yet, even in the harder parts, we’re deeply grateful for this season. Both of us waited a long time for marriage, walked through years of singleness, and prayed for the spouse we now get to love. So here we are — holding gratitude in one hand and grief in the other.
It’s strange, isn’t it? To love a season and still lament parts of it.
To feel joy and ache at the same time.
But that’s the tension of living in a world that’s both beautiful and broken.
And here’s what I’m learning: God meets us right in that in-between space.
The space where grief and gratitude coexist.
The space where we keep surrendering the pieces we can’t control.
The grief doesn’t magically disappear, and gratitude isn’t always steady or loud. But God’s grace? That remains steady every single day.
What Gratitude Actually Is (And Isn’t)
Gratitude is not:
Pretending everything is fine
Ignoring pain
Forcing positivity
A spiritual gold star
Gratitude is:
Seeing God’s nearness even when life feels heavy
Naming tiny glimmers of grace
Choosing trust over self-pressure
Letting God be good even when life isn’t
Scripture can help us see and recognize this art of gratitude. In Psalm 27:13, it says “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD…” It is a hopefulness. It is centered in the goodness of God more than our circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The thankfulness that is mentioned is a posture, not a feeling. We can walk in gratitude and still feel sad about the season.
Three Small Ways to Practice Gratitude When It Feels Impossible
1. Name one good thing—not all the good things.
Permission to keep it tiny: sunlight, a warm mug, a friend’s text.
2. Practice “honest gratitude.”
Being grateful and hurting at the same time is still holy.
3. Look for God’s character, not your circumstances.
Shift the focus from gratitude for what He gives → to gratitude for who He is.
Gratitude doesn’t make God good. God’s goodness makes gratitude possible. If you’re walking through a season where gratitude feels forced or far away…
you don’t have to navigate that alone. Coaching can help you slow down, make space to feel again, and notice God’s presence. Need help navigating this season? Join my coaching sessions where we unpack these questions together. Click here to complete an inquiry!
You don’t have to be grateful perfectly. God is patient with you. You can start small today. Gratitude may take time—but goodness is already here. What’s one tiny thing you can thank God for today?