“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

Where do you seek joy?

Fleeting happiness

Perhaps you seek joy in your loved ones—with your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your family, your friends. Perhaps you seek joy in your job—in the work you do, the money you make, the accomplishments you achieve. Perhaps you seek joy in other pursuits—in sports, in politics, in hobbies, in food, in nature, in your social life.

Yet no matter where you seek joy, does it last?

Loved ones let you down. Work becomes the four-letter word toil. Money runs out. Achievements become dusty memories. Teams and athletes fall short of expectations. Political candidates fail to keep their promises.

Our efforts to pursue joy often prove to be no more than mist: here today and gone tomorrow. This is especially true when we face hardship or suffering, when the crosses we carry feel particularly heavy. In such times, joy is the last thing on our minds. We are more likely to complain or worry, to get angry or frustrated.

Lasting joy

Yet for those times when we are without joy, the apostle Paul has joy to share. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

You might think, Easy for you to say, Paul! You’re not going through what I am! Yes, you’re right. Paul’s life was likely very different from your own when he wrote those words, but Paul isn’t trying to send you positive vibes so you feel some measure of fleeting happiness. No, Paul speaks of joy that lasts. Paul rejoiced, even though he had every right to be without joy. He was under house arrest after years of imprisonment that included a mob attack, injustice, plots on his life, and even near-death experiences by shipwreck and snakebite.

Nevertheless, Paul rejoiced! Why? He rejoiced in Christ, his Savior who lived, died, and rose again for him; his Savior whom he was privileged to proclaim even from prison. That led Paul to rejoice in the loving concern of his fellow believers; in the wider spread of the gospel; and finally, in the reality that whether he lived or died, Christ would be honored. Paul couldn’t help but rejoice—even in a time without joy.

Jesus is our joy. That joy will never depart from us no matter what is going on in our lives or in the world around us.

Can we have that kind of joy? Can we truly rejoice, even through tears, when a loved one departs this life or when life gets hard? Of course! This is no fake or fleeting joy. No, like Paul, we rejoice in the Lord our Savior who lived, died, and rose again for us. We rejoice in the good news of forgiveness, peace, and life through him. We rejoice in the children of God who are with us now and will be with us in glory someday. We rejoice that Christ is proclaimed to the ends of the earth. We rejoice in the ways Christ is honored as we live out our ordinary, God-given callings at home, in the community, and in his church. We rejoice that Christ is honored through us in life and even in death.

Jesus is our joy. That joy will never depart from us no matter what is going on in our lives or in the world around us. That joy is our anchor, our firm foundation now and always.

So whether you find yourself in a time with joy or a time without, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you are my joy. Bring lasting joy to my heart and to those around me through your saving gospel until we join you in the eternal joys of heaven. Amen.

Author: Jeremiah Gumm
Volume 111, Number 11
Issue: November 2024