When Gratitude Feels Impossible
In this week’s Celebrate Recovery message, we open our hearts to every person watching—especially those who are incarcerated, those battling addiction, those praying for a loved one, and our CR Online family. You are family, and you are not alone.
This message wasn’t the one originally planned. It was born from a week full of heartbreak, disappointment, spiritual battles, and the kind of tears you cry alone in your car. But God used that moment of weakness to reveal something powerful:
Gratitude isn’t about feeling thankful.
Gratitude is about who God is—right in the middle of the mess.
Through the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16 and Paul’s powerful words on joy, suffering, and purpose, we’re reminded:
- Joy isn’t rooted in circumstances — it’s rooted in Christ
- Suffering doesn’t mean God has abandoned you — it means He is working
- Your midnight worship might be the very thing that sets someone else free
- Weakness isn’t failure — it’s the place where God’s strength shows up the most
- Your testimony matters — don’t forget what God has already brought you through
We talk about addiction, family pain, rejection, spiritual heaviness, and the very real struggles that make gratitude feel impossible. And yet—Jesus meets us there. In the tears. In the chaos. In the heartbreak. In the weakness.
If you’re watching from a jail pod, recovery program, your living room, or your car…
If you’re carrying a burden no one else can see…
If you’ve forgotten what it feels like to hope…
This message is for you.
God is still good.
God is still faithful.
God is still working—even here, even now and you are loved.
Let’s choose gratitude not because life is easy,
but because Jesus is worthy.
“Rejoice in the Lord always.” — Philippians 4:4
“When I am weak, then I am strong.” — 2 Corinthians 12:10
Need Prayer?
Drop a comment or reach out privately. You are loved more than you know.
