Rejoice Always… Really?

I guess you could say that I have been stuck on I Thessalonians 5:16-18 for the last four days!  As I was studying this section of scripture over the weekend, I saw that it possesses four encouragements or even commands.  They are to rejoice always, to never stop praying, in everything give thanks and to follow God’s will for you. 

It is interesting to me that the Apostle Paul talks a lot about the importance of rejoicing in the Lord.  He includes this subject in many, if not most, of his letters to the churches.  I looked up I Thessalonians 5:16 in a variety of translations this morning.  One that especially stood out was from the Phillips paraphrase were it says to “be happy in your faith at all times.”  This rendering tends to bring one right to the source of your joy which is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I meditated on this verse, I immediately thought of four reasons for always being joyful.  The first and probably the most practical application is, according to Nehemiah  8:10, that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (KJV)  At the time that this was penned, a group of the Children of Israel had just returned to the devastated city of Jerusalem with the daunting task of rebuilding the city walls.  Nehemiah and Ezra the priest knew that the workers would need immeasurable strength to work through the emotional and physical strain that was before them everywhere they looked in order to complete the job that the Lord has presented them with.  They told the people to stop feeling sorry for themselves and instead to rejoice!

That same strength is needed at times by you and me to face and deal successfully with the situations that we encounter in our lives.  Paul continually told his readers that the joy of the Lord was the answer and source of strength that they could depend on.  Joy keeps us positive in our thoughts, words and actions.  It keeps our eyes founded on Christ and the expectations we have in Him and His Word.  I firmly believe that it also keeps the enemy of our souls guessing and unsteady as we seemed to be happy with our lives and fully trusting in the Lord, no matter what seems to be happening around us!

We once temporarily lived in a house on a very busy street.  And while the house itself was kind of unique in its design and fun, it had small front and backyards.  Previous to this we had lived for many years in a quiet neighborhood and our house had a large backyard.  Therefore our kids were not quite as happy with the inability to play freely in the street or enjoy the perks of a big yard.  My joyful wife did not let it affect her though.  She continued to be happy and talked to the kids about rejoicing in the Lord for our new place and allowing Him to show us what new things we could enjoy in this neighborhood.  Within a short period of time she introduced the kids to the joy of foursquare and turned our extra-long driveway into a good size foursquare court.  The kids enjoyed it so much that they talked us into taping a large foursquare court onto the carpet in the Children’s Activity Center at the church, and for numerous years it became the mainstay of the growing program there!

The backyard had a good sized deck and a large Oak tree with little else!  So my wife talked to a cousin whose husband came over one day and securely swung a thick rope over one its sturdy branches.  Suddenly we had a terrific tree swing which the kids and their friends used daily until the very day we moved!

I believe that it was my wife and the kids rejoicing and being happy in their faith in the Lord that made that home one of the funniest place for them that we ever lived in!  Over the years we have found that rejoicing in the Lord in even the toughest situations (like where we find ourselves today…) has given us the strength and ability to make it through with flying colors and be a blessing to others at the same time.

The one thing that I have also discovered is that our rejoicing at all times can be difficult for other people to deal with.  But you know what?  Rejoicing in the Lord through the tough times and the good times alike has been a life saver, and I’m not about to stop doing what God has called us to do.  If they want to walk around complaining, walking in depression and always looking at the worst of the situation... they can, but I am not going to let it affect me.  With my eyes on the Lord and His love and His abilities, I have reason to rejoice and thereby allow His solutions to change the circumstances I find myself dealing with.  How about you?  Have a great day!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”