Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:4-7
This week we are looking at how to continually choose the good things of God—how to keep putting on our plates things that truly satisfy. So far we have looked at embracing who we are in Christ and growing in maturity by taking responsibility for our own lives.
Today we are looking at what it means to rejoice in the Lord. In today’s passage, we are exhorted to rejoice always. Paul even says it twice so no one misses it. He also says it in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18—Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
When do you rejoice? Most likely, it is when something wonderful has happened. Child graduated from high school —rejoice! Got that job you wanted—rejoice! Test results were negative—rejoice! It is natural to rejoice when things are going well.
Paul tells us to rejoice always. We have talked about cultivating attitudes of repentance and gratitude, but what about an attitude of joy? While happiness often depends on circumstances, joy is something you can choose no matter what is happening around you.
When things are not going well, it is tempting to put things like fear and self-pity and bitterness on your plate. In fact, that is how they got there in the first place. But one of the ways to resist letting those things back into your life is to choose joy. God is always with you. Nothing can separate you from His love. Even when things are shaking all around you, you can rejoice in God’s love.
To Think/Pray About Today
When something goes wrong in your life, what is your first reaction? It very well may be things like anger and fear—”why is this happening to me?” But do you stay in those emotions, or do you choose to rejoice in God even in the midst of the difficult times?
Prayer Focus: Vogelsong Chiropractic
Cedarville United Presbyterian Church 