What Does It Mean to Rejoice?
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” – Philippians 4:4, NIV
When I visited the Happiness Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, I read some of the thousands of individual sticky notes left by visitors who each wrote down something that makes them feel happy. People listed pets, friends, travel, cooking, sports, reading, walking in nature, listening to music, and much more. The note I left read: “Discovering and experiencing God’s wonder” and I was pleased to see that many other people mentioned God in their own notes. While many things can give us temporary feelings of happiness, only relationships with God can give us joy. Joy is greater than happiness, and unlike happiness, joy is possible to experience in any kind of circumstances.
In Philippians 4:4, the Bible encourages us to rejoice all the time. Honestly, this verse can sometimes feel unrealistic. How can we rejoice always when we have to deal with so many challenges in this fallen world? How can we do so even when we’re stressed, exhausted, frustrated, sad, anxious, or angry?
If rejoicing meant forcing ourselves to try to feel happy, there would be plenty of situations where we couldn’t do so. Thankfully, though, the rejoicing this verse describes happens “in the Lord”. We can rejoice because of our relationships with Jesus, who connects us in saving relationships to God, the source of all joy.
The Apostle Paul wrote this verse through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration from a prison cell in chains, as he was possibly facing being killed for his faith. His joy wasn’t tied to any circumstances that made him happy. Instead, Paul found joy in his relationship with God, who was present with him and faithfully loving him even in the worst circumstances.
As your own circumstances change, your feelings will naturally change. Sometimes you’ll feel happy, but sometimes you’ll go through challenging circumstances that will knock happy feelings right out of you. No matter what, though, you can always experience joy by connecting with God. Whenever you notice God’s presence with you, you can focus on God and enjoy the joy that God will send you in the process. You can be struggling emotionally as you deal with an especially hard challenge, and still experience joy. That’s because joy is much more than just an emotion, like happiness is. Joy is a deep confidence that your loving God is with you and will help you!
In this verse, Paul repeats himself by writing: “I will say it again: Rejoice!” That repetition emphasizes how important it is to not let your joy be hijacked by any kind of challenging situation. Being joyful is a choice. When you find yourself struggling in a stressful situation, you need to make that choice as many times as it takes to keep your focus on God instead of on your circumstances.
One practice that can help you choose joy is expressing gratitude. The more you thank God for the blessings he pours into your life, the more you can turn your focus away from what’s missing in your life. Having an attitude of gratitude is a choice, as well. You can always make that choice – even during the worst circumstances of your life – because you’ll always have the ultimate blessing of a relationship with God.
It’s also helpful to pay attention to the wonder of God’s work in your life every day, which you can discover and enjoy even in the middle of challenging circumstances. God is always answering your prayers and showing you signs of his work around you, such as in nature and through the kindness of other people. The more you look, the more you can find God’s wonder. That’s a reason to rejoice!
Unlike happiness, joy doesn’t depend on good circumstances. You can rejoice anytime and anywhere, because joy comes from trusting God in the middle of any situation you face. Even in the worst circumstances you go through, you can still rejoice in the Lord.
Joy isn’t the absence of trouble; it’s the presence of God!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how to rejoice in any circumstances, reflect on these questions:
- What does “rejoice in the Lord” mean to you personally?
- In what situations do you find it hardest to rejoice? Why?
- When have you chosen to rejoice lately despite facing challenging circumstances? What helped you do so?
- What’s something about who God is, or what God is doing in your life, that’s bringing you joy today?
- How can you build the habit of rejoicing into your daily routine?
Further Reading:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Psalm 118:24
Nehemiah 8:10
Romans 12:12
John 16:22
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tinnakorn Jorruang
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