Gratitude Develops Your Faith

“Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7 (GW)

An attitude of gratitude is God’s will for me because it develops my faith. 

How does gratitude develop my faith? It happens when times are tough—when things don’t make sense, when I can’t figure it out, when my prayers are unanswered, when nothing is going the way I wanted it to go. It happens when I can say in those circumstances, “God, I know you’re in control. I know you love me, and I know you can bring good out of this. I’m thankful that you’re bigger than my problems.”

Anybody can thank God for good things. But if I can thank God even in the bad times, my faith will grow stronger as my roots go deeper.

Habakkuk was going through tough times. He said, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV).

In the midst of all the bad things that went wrong, Habakkuk rejoiced. What caused his gratitude? He decided to find joy in God: “I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

When everything else in life is a struggle, I can be grateful because the Lord is my Savior. He will pull me through. I'm not alone. He hasn’t abandoned me. That’s a reason to thank him!

Am I able to thank God when life stinks? That’s the ultimate test of the depth of my faith. When I'm going through tough times, don’t look at what’s lost. Look at what’s left—and be grateful for it!

Colossians 2:7 says, “Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving” (GW).

God’s will for me is radical gratitude—giving thanks in all things. I can be thankful to God just for who he is. He has promised to see me through those tough situations, and I'll find my faith will grow even stronger because of it.

In summary:

Radical gratitude strengthens faith by rooting trust in God even when life is difficult or confusing. While anyone can thank God in good times, true spiritual maturity grows when I choose to be grateful in hard seasons, declaring that God is in control, loves me, and can bring good out of any situation. Like Habakkuk, who rejoiced despite loss and hardship, I can find joy in God my Savior, knowing he has not abandoned me and will carry me through. When life feels empty, gratitude shifts my focus from what’s missing to what remains, deepening my faith. As Colossians 2:7 teaches, as I build my life on Christ and overflow with thanksgiving, my roots grow deeper and my faith grows stronger.

Bottom line:

Gratitude in hard times is what deepens faith—thanking God even when life is difficult roots me in Him and makes my faith stronger.

Next step:

Identify one difficult situation I'm currently facing and intentionally thank God for one specific thing He is doing in or through it. This simple act will start strengthening my faith right where I am.