Rejoice Always… yes, ALWAYS
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
Philippians 4:4-5 (NIV)
Paul’s words to the church in Phillipi seem impossible. To always accomplish the task of rejoicing and in every circumstance, it feels like we would have to take a mental or cognitive break. Most of us can manage joy, gratitude, and praise occasionally or even often. There are plenty of great things in our lives, both big and small, that give us opportunity to celebrate God’s goodness. But there are far too many moments of ‘un-joicing’ (a made-up word that equates to: troubles, pains, hurts, etc.) that pull us away from ALWAYS rejoicing.
We could manage this verse a lot better if Paul told us to ‘try’ and rejoice always, or ‘rejoice as often as you can’. These seem much more doable. But Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says ‘ALWAYS’. This doesn’t leave room for us to take a break from rejoicing. So how can we follow God’s instruction to always be rejoicing, especially in moments when complaining or bitterness seem to take over?
The first thing to point out is that God doesn’t say we cannot feel saddened or mourn. On the contrary, we see Jesus weeping over the death of his friend and also anxious and nervous leading up to his betrayal and crucifixion. We see in scripture that it is okay to feel great sorrow and pain when life brings us tragedy. As Christians, we are encouraged to ‘mourn with those who mourn’ (Romans 12:15), and I believe it is ok to grieve when we experience loss or suffering.
Secondly, a quick word on how to rejoice when things are going well. This is important to do and can easily be neglected. We must train our hearts to continually go to the Lord in all things. This means when something good happens in our life; we should praise Him and thank Him, for we know “Every good and perfect gift is from above“ (James 1:17). Make it a habit at the end of the day to keep a list of all good things that have happened to you and praise God for them. The goal is to train our hearts and minds to see God working through every gift. This typically comes easier for most people, but can easily be forgotten as we are swept away with great emotions and forget to thank God for the gifts we get.
Now, how can we rejoice ALWAYS? This takes discipline and practice. When adversity, trials, or pains hit us, we must keep them in perspective of who God is. After mourning and grieving for the loss or pain we feel, it is important at some point to begin walking our hearts toward choosing joy. When referring to other believers who have passed away, Paul writes to fellow believers, reminding them that “you do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). I believe rejoicing always begins by having the hope of Jesus.
When Christ is the center in your life, being the absolute first and greatest treasure of your heart, all other things lessen in value. This means both our highs and lows won’t sway us to forget God in our happiness or sorrow. Remembering our hope is with us, even when we hurt, leads us to give God Joy in spite of our pain. We will still have troubles, but our heart is with the one who has overcome the world.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.