Rejoice in the Lord always. Philippians 4:4
“I am so thankful that I have a joy that the world can not rob me of; I have a treasure that the world can not take from me; I have something that it is not in the power of man or devil to deprive me of, and that is the joy of the Lord.” – D.L. Moody
Joy is a Gift
Joy is a gift from God. Joy is given to us the moment we first repent of our sins and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. As believers, we don't have to pray for more joy. Joy is already ours in Christ Jesus. It's simple. All we have to do is trust in Jesus, and we will experience joy.
The Greek root word for joy, chara, is connected to the Greek word charis, meaning “grace.” Joy is not only a gift from God but flows from our awareness and gratitude of God's saving grace. Focusing on God's love is a key to experiencing true joy in the life of a believer. We know that God's love is most clearly seen when we look to the cross; when we focus on Jesus, the Savior of our souls. (See Romans 5:8)
Trust & Joy
Nevertheless, it's easy to get caught up in everyday frustrations, disappointments, or things that steal our happiness, but we can always turn our focus back to the Lord and simply marvel at His mercy and saving grace through our loving Savior, Jesus. This doesn't mean denying our unhappiness over our circumstances or stuffing down negative feelings. Rather, we can take all our heartaches to our Heavenly Father, both big and small, and share our troubles with Him. We can trust that He hears our cries and shares in our sorrows with us. Jesus knows exactly how we feel, and He cares about every hair on our head. Therefore, we can confidently cast all our anxieties onto Him, knowing He will care for us in every way. Our level of trust in Jesus will be directly proportionate to our feelings of joy. Trust in the Lord and joy in the heart go hand-in-hand.
The Epistle of Joy
The book of Philippians has a lot to say about joy. It's known as the Epistle of Joy. As a wonderful example for us, Paul shows us how he rejoices not in His circumstances but in the Lord. He was full of joy while in prison simply because He trusted in Jesus. What a testimony!
In Philippians 4:4–9, Paul writes,
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in Me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
This passage highlights the importance of praising God, acknowledging His presence, giving Him our many concerns while still remaining thankful, meditating on true, lovely, and excellent things and the wonderful attributes of God, and practicing righteousness through heartfelt obedience to God's Word. Joy comes through praising God, thanking God, giving God our worries, studying God’s Word (Psalm 19:8), obeying God's Word through love, and maintaining a heavenly, eternal perspective rather than dwelling on earthly things. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2
Joy Comes From the Gospel
The Christian life should be marked by joy, which is both a fruit of the Holy Spirit and a gift from God. To fully embrace the gift of joy that is already ours in Christ Jesus, we should center our thoughts on the Gospel and how Jesus loved us so much that He died on the cross for our sins, and in three days He rose again from the grave, ultimately defeating death. It’s by grace through faith in Christ alone that we may have eternal life…and that will be accompanied by eternal joy! Wow! Now that's what I call a bright future!
When we practice focusing on the saving message of the Gospel, our security in Jesus, and our future glory, our earthly worries will fade more into the background. They won't seem like such a big deal compared to the magnificence of the Gospel. There won't even be room for them when we fill our minds with the joy of our salvation. However, this doesn't come easy! We must diligently train our minds to remind ourselves of the Gospel every day and in all situations if we want to experience that joy. So let's go through our day today staying close to Jesus, talking and walking with Him, remembering the Gospel, obeying Him from the heart, and leaning on our fellow believers who will encourage us to rejoice in the Lord always.
Again, I say rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).
"Aim at heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither." ~ CS Lewis
When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; Psalm 19:8
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