Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4 ESV)
Our moods and attitudes are substantially influenced by what is going on around us. If something good is happening or life seems to be going well, we tend to be happy. If something bad is happening or if life is tougher than it used to be, we tend to be sad or get angry. Moods can change in an instant and they are constantly fluctuating day in and day out like the waves of the sea. What then do we do with verse at the top of this blog entry? How can we maintain our objective to rejoice in the Lord always when the circumstances around us are trying to suppress enjoyment of and in God? How is it possible to have a joy that doesn't change with circumstances that seem to have an irresistible influence on our lives?
True, constant joy isn't a magic feeling that makes everything bad going on around you disappear. It's not a drug that numbs the pain of life's hardships and trials. True joy is a mindset that comes from an understanding of who God is and what He has done. It is a realization of God being bigger than and in control of any and every circumstance in our lives. It is a constant that cannot be removed as long as we continue to remember who God is and what he has done for us.
Life is tough. We all know that. There are crummy circumstances all around us. Sometimes they aren't so bad, but sometimes they are above and beyond what we think we can handle. It's during those times that we either blame God or rejoice in Him. When we have the joy of Lord we can rejoice in Him no matter what is going on because He is in control. If employment is lost, we have the hope that God will provide. If a loved one passes away, we have hope that we will live forever in eternity. If someone sins against us, we have the ability and love to forgive that person because we know how much God has forgiven us. There are so many situations in life that try to put out the flame of our joy in the Lord, but in all reality God's love for us can never be extinguished. Why? Because the promise of salvation to those who have received it will never be taken away and the grace that He gives to us everyday will never run short. Understand this, Christian! God is sufficient through all your crummy circumstances. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. He will never leave us or forsake us. His promises are too great for us to not rejoice in Him in every circumstance of life.
It's easy to rejoice in the good times, but it's the hard times that show us if we are really rejoicing for the right reasons. Who is like our God! What compares to the marvelous things He has done! How can we not rejoice in Him all the days of our lives?
We do not worship a god made with hands. We do not worship a god reliant upon the strength of man. We do not worship a god who is weak and unable to give us grace to deal with the circumstances of our lives. We worship the God who spoke everything into existence. We worship the God who makes promises and keeps them. We worship the God who became a man to rescue wretched sinners from their sin. We worship the God whose glory and majesty cannot be compared with. We worship the God who is bigger than all our problems. We worship the God who wants us to help carry our burdens.
Don't reduce God to a list of human capabilities. He is infinitely powerful and in control of the universe. Rejoice in that God and all the problems of this life will seem trivial in comparison. He is our Helper, our Counselor, our Friend. He is the King of the universe.
Rejoice in the Lord always! Again, O say, rejoice!
Blessings,
Nick
