Rejoice Always

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: rejoice! – Philippians 4:4

The only way to rejoice is to have joy.  The very definition of rejoice is to show great joy.  We must have joy to rejoice.  Therefore, we must have joy always.  The children’s song says:

I’ve got joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

Where?

Down in my heart

I’ve got joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

Where?

Down in my heart to stay

Somehow I don’t believe that heaven is a place that is not rejoicing.  I only imagine that there is joy everywhere as every person is completed in their relationships first with the Lord and second with everyone else.  I do not see heaven as a place of downhearted people with their eyes cast low.  Therefore we must ask ourselves, if there is much joy in heaven, why are we not overcome with more joy in our lives? 

Jesus taught us many things about heaven.  Ultimately, it seems apparent from His teachings that heaven is where the presence of the Lord abides.  We are taught that the Spirit of God abides in our hearts when we accept that Jesus is God’s Son, He came and lived in the flesh with us, He suffered and died on a Cross for our sins and was resurrected.  If we truly believe this and have faith in God’s Word, then we must accept that His Spirit came into our hearts.  If His Spirit is in our hearts, then how are we not full of joy?

I know that we live too close to this world as Christians.  We allow the temporary things in this life interfere with the eternal things that we are a part of as believers.  As members of God’s eternal home, family with God’s only begotten Son, and carriers of His Spirit, we should be full in our hearts and above this temporary world that works so very hard to drag us away from every fragment of God in our life.

There are temporary evil people with human power in this world, but there is an eternal all-powerful loving God in this world and in every part of Creation.  There are those who want to enslave us, discourage us, use us, and hate us, but there is the one true living God who frees us, encourages us, delivers us, and loves us eternally forever and ever. 

There simply is no amount of negative descriptions that we can list that are contained in our world that we cannot list more positive descriptions that we can list that are contained within a loving God who gives generously.  He always overcomes the world – always.  And we are to always be rejoicing – always.

Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. – Philippians 4:8

Being joyful is a conscious decision to alter our attitude.  It means deciding that there is beauty, love, peace, kindness, and gentleness in our world because God is in our world.  It means deciding that these things will be a part of our heart and our actions.  It means putting our trials and the actions of others in context, knowing that Jesus has overcome the world.  It is another facet of our faith.  We must believe that Jesus has overcome the world, then we can be rejoicing at all times, not matter what happens or what anyone does.  Nothing can undo what God has done and He did it for even me.

Galatians 5:22 tells us that one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy.  Praise God today.  Let His Spirit produce this fruit of joy in your life and let Him overcome the world in your soul.  Let Him sweep away all the dirt this world tries to bury down in your heart to keep you from being joyful and rejoice – always!