Rejoice Always In The Lord (Phil. 4:4-7)

Rejoice Always In The Lord (Phil. 4:4-7)

As a young man I used to like a saying of Alekandr Sergeyevick Pushkin(1799-1837), a nineteenth century Russian novelist : "Don't be sad, don't be angry, if life deceives you! Submit to your grief -- your time for joy will come, believe me."
There are more sorrows and griefs, pains, agonies, and complaints than joys, pleasures, and praises in this present world. So, average people lose their smiles and laughs more and more as they become older and older.
The Oxford University Medical School team researched on laughs of children and of adults. Their findings are that while children of ages 4 and 5 laugh 400 to 500 times on an average a day, grown-ups laugh 15 to 20 times a day. Children laugh or smile even in their sleeps, but many grown-ups do not laugh or smile even in funniest situations.

Many people lose their spiritual joy although they try to seek fleshly pleasures. Even many Christians live their Christian lives without rejoicing their situations very much.
If a Christian is asked, "Why are you not rejoicing?" the person may answer, "I have nothing to rejoice. Look, I have many pains, sorrows, and disappointments. How can I rejoice?"

Yet, Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always.
Paul himself was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter to Christians in Philippi, without knowing when he would be executed. Paul himself rejoiced always in his pains, sufferings, weaknesses, and uncertainty.
How could he rejoice in the Lord always?
It is because he knew that Jesus Christ forgave him all his sins, gave him salvation and eternal life, and would be with him always.

Rejoice in the Lord Always
Paul urges us to "rejoice in the Lord always."
It is a straightforward command. It is a repeated command, and the setting is quite blunt-"I will say it again"-as the apostle is exhorting the whole congregation to be constantly rejoicing. It is as much a sin not to rejoice as not to repent.
Do you believe it?
Aren't the implications clear, that Christians are meant to be continually rejoicing in the Lord?
Paul doesn't write in a rather polite way, saying to them, "Let me share with you this; I personally rejoice in the Lord always."
He tells them that their lives are to be characterized continually by joy.

1. Rejoice
The world offers many different types of joy; some of it is harmless, some harmful. Faith in Jesus brings genuine joy, which the Holy Spirit creates in the heart.
Would you not rejoice upon hearing that someone paid off your heavy credit card debt in full? Why then would you not rejoice upon hearing that Jesus has paid off your entire debt of sin in your behalf?
The Psalmist in Psalm 103:12 says "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
If we believe that our sins have been forgiven, we cannot but rejoice in the Lord.

In addition to finding joy in spiritual blessings, we may also find joy in everything that God has created for our use. God, of course, does not approve of the wrong use of His gifts as Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:4-5: "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude, for it is sanctified by means of the Word of God and prayer."
So we should rejoice in everything that God had created and allowed for our daily use.

2. Rejoice "in the Lord"
There may be "temporary joy" in drugs including alcohol and tobacco, in sexual pleasures, or in material acquisitions, but this temporary joy flies off to the sky like an eagle.

The joy that abides continually is only "in the Lord." This is the joy which comes from a personal, living and fruitful relationship with the Lord.
“In the Lord" we enjoy peace with God(Rom. 5:2), His help in temptations(1 Cor 10:13), and assurance of God's companionship in time of trial(Heb. 13:5-6).
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to experience this "abiding joy"?

3. Rejoice "Always"
Paul is urging us to rejoice "always," in days of disappointment, and heartache, and bereavement, and pain, and family problems, and failure and loss.
Rejoice "always"?
Paul was imprisoned and facing possible execution. But Paul suffered much more than imprisonment, as he tells us in 2 Corinthians 11: 25, 27: "Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked . . . I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."
However, with the sure hope of the future glory in Christ, Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:10 confesses that he is "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing everything"--life in Christ!

No matter what happens to us Christians, no matter what its frequency, duration and agony are, we by the grace of God can rejoice "always" in the Lord in them all.
The joy that Paul tells us is to be experienced "always," not just an occasional experience for exceptional people, in trials as wells as in triumphs, in darkness as well as in light.
Why should we rejoice always?
We should rejoice always because it is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus.
We should rejoice always because Jesus saved us, gave us eternal life, and loves us always.

4. Hindrances to "Abiding Joy"
Why do many of those who have a personal relationship with the Lord often find themselves lacking joy in all circumstances?
Perhaps it is because there are often hindrances to "abiding joy" -- memories of past failures; awareness of present faults.
These often leave people in a state of discouragement or depression.

Paul, however, provides the solution in Philippians 3:12-14: firstly, realize your imperfection, yet press on to better things!; secondly, forget your past failures, reach forward to future successes!

Natural temperament or disposition may be another hindrance to "abiding joy."
Many people are naturally "melancholy" through genetic predisposition toward such an attitude or through environmental influences as we were growing up. Yet in Christ, we can be transformed (Rom. 12:1-2) and produce joy, a "fruit of the Spirit."

Anxieties and depressing circumstances may be added to hindrances to "abiding joy." It is easy to be joyful when everything is going well, but when things are going wrong, people are easily depressed.
However, we see from the Scriptures that even those times can be a time for rejoicing if we have the right "perspective" as James tells us in James 1:2, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."

5. Story of Joel Sonnenberg
The now 26-year-old Joel Sonnenberg, was a victim of a horrendous car accident.
On September 15, 1979, en route to Maine, the Sonnenbergs' family car was crushed so badly. When a rescuer pulled the 22-month-old Sonnenberg from the wreckage, burns covered 85% of his smoldering body. With little hope, emergency workers transported him to a hospital in Boston where he quickly lost his fingers, toes, lips, ears and nose.
But, Sonnenberg speaks in his book "Joel" about how God has given him the courage to succeed. He credits his own optimism and his family's strong support with helping him serve as his high school's student body president, get elected Citizen of the Year for western South Carolina and carry the Olympic torch.
Sonnenberg always wanted to be a musician, but without hands, or even lips, he could not play any musical instrument.
He eventually realized his instrument was his voice.
Sonnenberg continues to use his voice, and his experiences, to speak regularly across the country of his remarkable life and unshakable faith.
He wants to share his joy in Christ with people who live their miserable lives in difficult situations and people who do not rejoice in their normal lives.

6. Conclusion
"Rejoice in the Lord always" does not mean that one is to be insensitive to the harsh realities of life, but it means that one does not let the dark realities of life blind him or her to the radiance of joy that is found in the Lord!

Have you found yourself going through life without the "abiding joy"?
If so, then make your relationship with the Lord what it ought to be first by rendering complete obedience to His Will; and then by letting the counsel of His Spirit give you the perspectives necessary to "Rejoice In The Lord Always!"
Let our joy in the Lord overcome our sorrows, pains, anxieties, and depression!