Philippians 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:
Rejoice!”
Remembering that Paul writes this letter from
prison, we can quickly reject any idea that the basis for rejoicing in the Lord
has anything to do with one’s circumstances. But if we’re honest with
ourselves, the basis by which we rejoice most often actually is our
circumstances, and understandably so. It is easy to rejoice when you have
gotten a new job or received a wonderful gift. And it seems crazy to rejoice in
the midst of suffering or pain.
And yet Paul calls us to rejoice in the Lord always.
All the time. There is no qualification to always. Always means always. Therefore
we can and should rejoice in the midst of wonderful circumstances, and we can
and should rejoice in the midst of pain and suffering. But how is it even
possible to rejoice in the midst of difficult circumstances?
The key lies in that Paul exhorts us to rejoice in
the Lord, not in our circumstances. The basis for our constant rejoicing is God
himself and what he has done for us. And God has done so much for us! He has
taken us, wretched, miserable sinners, and saved us from the penalty of sin and
death by sending his son Jesus to die for us and pay the penalty that we
deserve. Christ has not only taken our sin on himself, but he has given us his
righteousness, so that while we struggle with sin this side of heaven, God
looks at us and sees Christ’s righteousness. Furthermore, when we received
Christ as our Lord and Savior we were adopted into God’s family…we are sons and
daughters of the most high God! And because of what God has done for us in
Christ we have a glorious future ahead of us…eternal life with our heavenly Father!
Therefore when we look at what God has done for
us, the natural response should be rejoicing! Even if we face the worst
circumstances possible, what God has done for us far outweighs the worst situation
we could face in this life. This is why Christians throughout history have been
able to joyfully face persecution, suffering, and even martyrdom. Our joy is
not found in our circumstances, it is found in what God has done for us.
And not only can we rejoice in what God has done
for us, when we do face difficult circumstances in life we can rejoice because
we know that God is in control. Romans 8:28 teaches us that God works all
things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Just as always means always, all things means all things, even the hard
circumstances in life. So God is in control, and uses even our suffering for
his glory and for our good. So we can truly rejoice in the Lord always.
It is liberating when we realize that we can
rejoice in the Lord regardless of our circumstances. When we learn to rejoice
even in extreme hardship, it makes the struggle so much easier to endure. But
rejoicing in the Lord also gives dignity to the suffering that we do go
through. So many of us consciously or unconsciously believe in a “put on a happy
face” theology that tries to find the silver lining in everything, or puts a
positive spin on a bad situation. But if our rejoicing is not based on our
circumstances, then we can honestly acknowledge our pain and suffering, and we
don’t have to cover it up with a fake smile. Sometimes there is no silver
lining. Sometimes there is no positive spin possible. Sometimes we will never
see the good, even if we know that God is working in that situation for good.
And that’s OK. We can rejoice in the
Lord while in tears, grief, and pain. And that kind of rejoicing glorifies God,
strengthens us, and gives dignity to our suffering.
So is your rejoicing based on your circumstances or
in the Lord? Is your rejoicing occasional or continual? What do you think it
looks like to authentically rejoice in the midst of a difficult circumstance?
And what circumstances are you currently facing where you need to begin rejoicing?
Don’t give up: Rejoice in the Lord always!
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