As Christians, we spend a good amount of our lives trying to learn and keep God\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019re supposed to do.<\/p>\n
In Philippians 4:4, Paul commanded his readers to \u201cRejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!\u201d 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Why should we rejoice? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n We could start with the fact that it\u2019s 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 \u201cConsider it all joy\u201d when we go through trials.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond that, we should rejoice to show God that we aren\u2019t ungrateful. Ephesians 1 tells us that we\u2019ve been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, and Paul goes on to talk about the riches of God\u2019s grace throughout the epistle. When we tell God we\u2019re too sad, stressed, or angry to rejoice, we tell Him that those gifts weren\u2019t enough for us, that the blood of Jesus has less influence on our lives than our day to day struggles. Perhaps you\u2019ve seen one of those viral videos that pop up\u00a0shortly after Christmas every year, where a child sits crying and screaming in the midst of a mountain of presents because they didn\u2019t get one more. As appalling as those videos are, that\u2019s a perfect image of what Christians look like when we refuse to rejoice despite God\u2019s blessings. <\/span><\/p>\n The third reason we should rejoice is because it\u2019s 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\u2019ll 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).\u00a0 <\/span>If our gentle and reasonable spirit (Philippians 4:5) can be seen by all, though, God will be glorified.<\/span><\/p>\n But how?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cRejoice in the Lord always\u201d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n First, we have to remember that God is in control. \u201cBe 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.\u201d It takes such a load off of our minds when we can put things into His hands. I know I\u2019m 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\u2019s sovereign guidance. When we do that, we receive true peace of mind that surpasses all understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n Second, after putting our worries in God\u2019s hands, we need to find something else to fill our thoughts. That\u2019s why Paul followed up \u201cRejoice always\u201d and \u201cBe anxious for nothing\u201d with, \u201cFinally, 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.\u201d If we don\u2019t fill our minds with something new, we\u2019ll 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\u2019t rejoice. But if we get into the Word and fill our hearts and minds with God\u2019s promises and then go act on those pure, lovely, excellent thoughts, we\u2019ll be reminded all over again just why we should be rejoicing. <\/span><\/p>\n