Suffering Is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot
Week 6: Chapter 6 — Suffering and Gratitude
Read Chapter 6 of Suffering Is Never for Nothing. Key Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 34:1.
Want the full guide for Suffering Is Never for Nothing?
Free Week 1 sample in 5 min · $24.99 for all 9 weeks · 7-day refund
This chapter contains one of Elliot's most unexpected moves: she argues that gratitude is not just possible in suffering — it is the pathway through it. These questions invite you to test that claim against your own experience.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.What is Elliot's argument for why gratitude and suffering are compatible — even interdependent? How does she get from 'this is painful' to 'I can give thanks'?
2.Paul commands thanksgiving 'in all circumstances' — not for all circumstances. Elliot takes that preposition seriously. What is the difference, and why does it matter? Does that distinction make the command feel more or less possible to obey?
3.Elliot speaks of gratitude as a discipline — something we choose before we feel it, and something we must practice even when it feels dishonest. Have you ever practiced gratitude in the middle of pain and found that it changed something? What happened?
a.What specific things can you give genuine thanks for even in the middle of your current hardest season?
b.Is there anything about your suffering itself — not just what surrounds it — for which you could eventually give thanks? What would it take to get there?
You're on Week 6 of 9
Don't lose momentum — get the rest of Suffering Is Never for Nothing
All 63 questions across 9 weeks, with closing prayers and a downloadable PDF for your group.
One-time purchase · 7-day refund · Covers your whole group