As Christians, we spend a good amount of our lives trying to learn and keep God’s commandments (or at least we should). There are dozens that we strive to apply – love one another, do not bear false witness, abstain from fleshly lusts, etc. – but it’s not just about doing the right things. The commandment that seems to be overlooked more than any other pertains to how we do what we do rather than just what we’re supposed to do.
In Philippians 4:4, Paul commanded his readers to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” As we’re going through life striving to obey God, we should be rejoicing in Him at every turn. Everything else we do should be highlighted by the joy we feel in Him, but too often we either get upset with God’s will and question Him, or we resign ourselves to it because we know that we’re supposed to just trust and obey. While it’s critically important that we trust and obey, if we do so without rejoicing, we’re sinning by disobeying this oft-repeated commandment.
So many times this commandment remains forgotten or overlooked, but it truly must be at the heart of everything else we do. But life is hard sometimes. Sometimes it makes no sense to rejoice. Why should we rejoice? And how do we even do that when we go through such difficult times? Thankfully, the Scriptures answer those questions for us.
Why should we rejoice?
We could start with the fact that it’s a direct commandment that appears multiple times in the New Testament. The possibility of circumstances giving us a pass from rejoicing was rejected in passages like Matthew 5:12, where Jesus told His disciples to rejoice when they were persecuted, and James 1:2-4, where James tells us to “Consider it all joy” when we go through trials.
Beyond that, we should rejoice to show God that we aren’t ungrateful. Ephesians 1 tells us that we’ve been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, and Paul goes on to talk about the riches of God’s grace throughout the epistle. When we tell God we’re too sad, stressed, or angry to rejoice, we tell Him that those gifts weren’t enough for us, that the blood of Jesus has less influence on our lives than our day to day struggles. Perhaps you’ve seen one of those viral videos that pop up shortly after Christmas every year, where a child sits crying and screaming in the midst of a mountain of presents because they didn’t get one more. As appalling as those videos are, that’s a perfect image of what Christians look like when we refuse to rejoice despite God’s blessings.
The third reason we should rejoice is because it’s one of the best ways to let our light shine and bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16). People who can stay even-keeled and joyful despite all the highs and lows life throws their way are some of the most memorable people you’ll ever meet. If our joy is subject to circumstances outside of our control, we show the world that people who know Jesus are no different and have no greater peace (Philippians 4:7). If our gentle and reasonable spirit (Philippians 4:5) can be seen by all, though, God will be glorified.
But how?
“Rejoice in the Lord always” is one of the all time biggest easier said than done commandments ever given. How are we supposed to stay joyful when you lose a family member, when a loved one receives a scary diagnosis, when you lose a job, or when some other trial comes our way? Right after commanding the Philippian Christians to rejoice, Paul gave them two commandments as to how they can do so.
First, we have to remember that God is in control. “Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It takes such a load off of our minds when we can put things into His hands. I know I’m not the only one who has the tendency to pray to God about something, say amen, and keep on worrying about it, but true faith puts everything in His hands and only thinks of the matter again to give thanks for God’s sovereign guidance. When we do that, we receive true peace of mind that surpasses all understanding.
Second, after putting our worries in God’s hands, we need to find something else to fill our thoughts. That’s why Paul followed up “Rejoice always” and “Be anxious for nothing” with, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” If we don’t fill our minds with something new, we’ll keep dwelling on those old thoughts. When we dwell on the things that made us stressed out or upset in the first place, we can’t rejoice. But if we get into the Word and fill our hearts and minds with God’s promises and then go act on those pure, lovely, excellent thoughts, we’ll be reminded all over again just why we should be rejoicing.
Christians should be the most calm, level-headed, and joyful people on earth. As John MacArthur put it, “There is no event or circumstance that can occur in the life of any Christian that should diminish that Christian’s joy.” Unfortunately, the world is constantly trying to steal our joy through temptations and trials, and that’s why we have to fight for joy in God. We have to fight all of those things every day to remind ourselves just how much God loves us and why we should always rejoice in Him.
We all go through life’s ups and downs, but it sure gets old having to ride those waves. But God has given us the ability to avoid that never-ending cycle of highs and lows, as long as we rejoice in Him always. Fight through the challenges and find a way to rejoice in God. It’s when this forgotten commandment becomes the commandment that rules every day of our lives that we’ll have a peace that transcends anything we can possibly understand. What will you rejoice over today?
By Jack Wilkie
Jack Wilkie is the author of “Failure: What Christian Parents Need to Know About American Education” and is the speaker for Focus Press’s “The Lost Generation” seminar. To schedule a seminar at your church, contact jack@tampaseo.expert.
