321: How Can I Be Grateful When Brokenness Is Everywhere?
We know we should be thankful. But what happens when the world feels upside down? When pain, injustice and personal heartache make gratitude feel fake or impossible?
In this deeply honest episode, Alicia Michelle explores why gratitude sometimes feels forced and how to pursue authentic thanksgiving, even when life feels like it’s falling apart. Through Scripture, personal stories, and powerful mindset tools, learn how to move past performative gratitude and toward a deeper, more healing connection with God.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
[00:00] What If Gratitude Feels Impossible in a Broken World?
[03:00] Why Doesn’t Performative Gratitude Lead to Peace?
[06:00] How Can You Be Honest with God When Gratitude Doesn’t Come Naturally?
[08:00] What Does Jesus Teach Us About Thanksgiving at the Last Supper?
[11:00] Can Gratitude Be Rooted in God’s Character, Not Your Circumstances?
[13:00] What “It Is Well with My Soul” Teaches Us About Grieving with Gratitude
[16:00] How the A.D.D. Method Can Help When You’re Stuck in Disappointment
[20:00] Why Does Romans 1 Say Gratitude Is Essential for Spiritual Clarity?
[00:00] What If Gratitude Feels Impossible in a Broken World?
Gratitude doesn’t mean denying the pain of a broken world. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by global tragedy or personal hardship and wonder, “How can I be thankful right now?”
But as Alicia shares, gratitude isn’t dependent on circumstances; it’s an intentional shift in perspective. It’s the practice of anchoring yourself in what is true about God, even when nothing around you feels okay. It becomes a lifeline, not a performance.
[03:00] Why Doesn’t Performative Gratitude Lead to Peace?
You can say “thank you” a hundred times and still feel disconnected.
Alicia calls out the pressure many of us feel in Christian culture to always be positive. But when gratitude is forced (spoken because we think we “should”) it creates guilt instead of peace.
True gratitude begins with honesty. Acknowledging the pain doesn't cancel the praise. It creates the space where real gratitude can take root.
[06:00] How Can You Be Honest with God When Gratitude Doesn’t Come Naturally?
Alicia reflects on her own recent experience of wrestling with sadness over heartbreaking world events. She didn’t immediately feel grateful. She didn’t try to rush into thanksgiving. Instead, she gave herself permission to grieve and brought that grief to God.
We’re reminded of the Psalms, raw, honest, and often tear-streaked prayers that still end in praise. God invites that kind of transparency. He is not asking for a performance. He is asking for your real presence.
[08:00] What Does Jesus Teach Us About Thanksgiving at the Last Supper?
This is one of the most powerful moments of gratitude in all of Scripture.
At the Last Supper, Jesus knew betrayal was coming. He knew pain was moments away. Yet Luke 22:19 says: “He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it.”
That act of giving thanks in the face of suffering reveals the deepest kind of spiritual maturity. Jesus wasn’t thankful for the suffering, but He was surrendered to the purpose beyond it.
Gratitude in that moment wasn’t about comfort. It was about obedience.
[11:00] Can Gratitude Be Rooted in God’s Character—Not Your Circumstances?
Psalm 100:5 says: “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”
That verse reminds us that when everything else feels unstable, God’s character does not change. Gratitude that is anchored in who God is, not what’s happening, becomes a steady foundation for our faith.
When the world feels dark, we can still give thanks that His love endures. That His presence is real. That He is still working, even when we can’t see it.
[13:00] What “It Is Well with My Soul” Teaches Us About Grieving with Gratitude
Alicia shares the story of Horatio Spafford, the man who wrote the famous hymn It Is Well with My Soul after losing two of his daughters at sea. In the wake of unthinkable tragedy, Spafford still declared, “It is well.”
That line wasn’t written in denial; it was written in deep trust. Trust that even when everything is broken, Jesus is still enough. That kind of gratitude lives alongside grief. It’s mature, hard-won, and deeply healing.
[16:00] How the A.D.D. Method Can Help When You’re Stuck in Disappointment
When gratitude feels unreachable, Alicia suggests using the A.D.D. Method to realign emotionally and spiritually:
- Acknowledge what you’re feeling.
(“I feel numb,” “I feel angry,” “I feel helpless.”)
- Discern what’s true.
(“God hasn’t abandoned me.” “My feelings are valid, but they don’t define reality.”)
- Decide how you will respond.
(“I choose to trust. I choose to believe there’s more to the story.”)
This method doesn’t force you to feel thankful, it helps clear the emotional fog so that real gratitude can emerge.
[20:00] Why Does Romans 1 Say Gratitude Is Essential for Spiritual Clarity?
Romans 1:21 says, “Although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, and their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Gratitude is a spiritual anchor. Without it, our thinking becomes distorted. We lose our sense of direction.
Giving thanks even in suffering isn’t just a suggestion. It’s protection. It shields our hearts from bitterness and helps us stay aligned with truth when lies and despair creep in.
JOIN THE EMOTIONAL CONFIDENCE CLUB:
Want practical help learning to manage your emotions better? Join us in Alicia’s Emotional Confidence Club!
We’re a Christ-centered community of women learning to process everyday emotions—like disappointment, overwhelm, and shame—using a science-and-Scripture-based roadmap that makes emotional healing practical, powerful, and personal.
Every 6 weeks we welcome new members and focus on a new topic (and Sept/Oct is on “Finding Authentic Gratitude”)!
Apply now to join us at AliciaMichelle.com/club.
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Ep 312: What to Do When You Can’t Stop Crying, Snapping, or Shutting Down
Ep 244: You Can Have a Different Response to Fear and Anxiety
