Read Philippians 4: 4 - 9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Rejoice and again I say Rejoice!
What does this word ‘rejoice’
mean? It means to celebrate, give thanks, express joy, delight yourself, be
glad etc. It’s easy to do this when there is occasion to celebrate, when we
receive good news, when things go according to plan, when we are loved and
appreciated by those we care about. Which, I’m sure you will agree, doesn’t
happen often enough. But Paul is advocating joy as a choice. Not in things but
in the LORD. Not sometimes but ALWAYS.
At first glance, it would appear that happiness and joy are
one and the same. But there is a difference. Happiness depends on the people
and circumstances of your life. It is external and almost always fleeting. But
joy comes from within and is not dependent on external factors. Regardless of
the situation you are in or the people around you, Paul tell us to rejoice! Unlike
happiness, joy is a decision you make; not a fate you resign to.
If we allow circumstances and people to dictate our mood and
frame of mind, we will be sorely disappointed because circumstances are
unpredictable and people are unreliable. Throwing ourselves at the mercy of
these variables will lead us on an emotional roller coaster ride. One day we
are on top of the world and the next day we are down in the dumps. But joy is a
personal choice.
Many people fail to recognize that the freedom we
have to exercise choice is God-given. We are made in the image and likeness of
God. Just like our Creator, we are given the ability to think, feel, reason and
make choices. This sets us apart from any other living creatures on this
planet. Decide that nothing is going to rob you of your joy. Not people, not circumstances, not things. Not
the past, the present or the future. If there is anything that is making you
anxious or causing you to worry, bring it to the Lord. Pray. Direct your
petitions to Him. But don't forget the thanksgiving part!
Having a heart of gratitude gives us heavenly perspective of things. Paul reminds us of this truth in 2 Cor. 4: 16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Our afflictions are light and momentary in the light of Eternity! Who knew that counting your blessings can cure you of your shortsightedness and give you an eternal kingdom perspective? Far too many people focus on what is wrong with their lives and have an unending pity party of their own making. But God doesn't want us to carry our problems. He wants us to hand them over and leave it to Him. So pray and make your requests but always in the spirit of thankfulness for who He is and what He has already done.
Having a heart of gratitude gives us heavenly perspective of things. Paul reminds us of this truth in 2 Cor. 4: 16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Our afflictions are light and momentary in the light of Eternity! Who knew that counting your blessings can cure you of your shortsightedness and give you an eternal kingdom perspective? Far too many people focus on what is wrong with their lives and have an unending pity party of their own making. But God doesn't want us to carry our problems. He wants us to hand them over and leave it to Him. So pray and make your requests but always in the spirit of thankfulness for who He is and what He has already done.
Do you know what happens when we put our troubles in God’s hands? He puts His peace in our hearts.
God’s peace is not from this world. It is not temporal. No man can take this peace away from you because it is not from this world. The peace of God is like nothing you’ve ever known. It’s beyond our human comprehension. No one can explain how it works. When we surrender our anxieties and worries to God, His peace flows in and stands guard in our heart and mind.
God’s peace, unlike His love, is conditional. We can only
receive His peace in exchange for our worries and cares. Have you ever heard of
the Monkey Trap? The idea is to put a banana inside a jar big enough for the monkey’s
fist. When the monkey sticks his hand inside to grab his “prize”, he finds he can’t
get free. He is trapped. The reason being he doesn’t want to let go of the
prize. Many of us fall into the Monkey Trap. We want to be free but
we still want to hold on to the banana. We want peace but we don’t want to let
go of our anxiety. We want God to be in control but we still want to tell Him
what to do.
Life coaches tell us that we can achieve peace by doing less
or more of something. Spend less time at work. Meditate more. Eat less meat. Take more walks. These are
practical ways and many will attest to their effectiveness. But the peace that
passes human understanding can only be found in Christ Jesus. Only JESUS can
give us peace because He is the Prince of Peace. Jesus says,
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
We can have peace in the face of adversity
because Jesus has already overcome. The finished work on Calvary is what
gives every Christian true peace of mind. Every principality and power has been
defeated. Every sin cleansed. Every sickness healed. Worrying is an exercise in
futility when Jesus has already conquered the world. So rejoice in the Lord for
therein lies your strength.
Looking for peace? Start rejoicing!
