Rejoice!

To Rejoice-‘to feel or show great joy or delight’.

In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, he tells them to ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!‘ [Phil 4:4]. This letter was written while Paul was in a first century Roman prison-not a comfy, air conditioned-3 meals a day-with tv, exercise gym and free-medical-care sort of place. And yet he tells the Philippian believers to REJOICE! Is this because Paul is focusing on what he has in the Lord and ignoring his immediate negative circumstances e.g. his loss of freedoms, and likely deprivation of certain ‘comforts’? After all, he says to rejoice in the Lord, which certainly sounds like a directive for us to look heavenward for our source of joy. And rightly so, and for very good reasons, e.g. we have been chosen before the foundation of the world [Eph 1:4], adopted [Eph 1:5],redeemed from our enslavement to sin [Eph 1:7], forgiven [Eph 1:7], granted an inheritance [Eph 1:11], justified and declared righteous by faith alone [Rom 5:1], reconciled to God [Rom 5:10], from death were made alive [Eph 2:4-5], freed from condemnation [Rom 8:1]and are the objects of His perpetual love from which nothing can separate us [Rom 8:38-39] just to list a few.

Paul suffered and endured many deprivations, stressors, and persecutions during his earthly ministry [e.g. see II Cor 6:4-5]. Ironically, his imprisonments may have been, comparatively speaking, more comfortable and secure than during his times of ‘freedom’! And yet, Paul tabulates all of his troubles and considers them to weigh a mere feather compared to the ‘weight’ of the glory that one day will be seen and experienced by Paul [and us][Rom 8:18, II Cor 4:16-18]. Clearly, Paul is personally rejoicing in God’s grace and abundant heavenly provision for him and therefore, Paul encourages the Philippians to do the same.

But is ‘rejoicing in the Lord’ limited only to those blessings that await us in heaven as glorious as that will be? In verse 10 of chapter 4 of his same letter, he says: “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed you were concerned before but you lacked opportunity“. Paul was writing the Philippian believers in part, to thank them for their sending him a gift of support by the hand of Epaphroditus [4:18]. This was an example of Paul rejoicing in his earthly circumstances/blessings-e.g. his receiving a thoughtful gift from the church at Philippi. But he still says that he ‘rejoiced in the Lord‘ and not just a little but ‘greatly’! Paul must have viewed this gift from his friends at Philippi as from the Lord and not only from them. So it appears, at least from Paul’s example, that we are to rejoice [lit.’be continually rejoicing’] in all of our blessings-be they heavenly/eternal or earthly/circumstantial. Both are legitimate sources for our experiencing joy. A wise person, I suggest, would lay a foundation for joy based upon the spiritual blessings granted us in the heavenly places some of which are recited above, but doing so does not hinder our experiencing joy via ‘earthly’ experiences or circumstances, that will come our way frequently, even daily, if we look for them. Our ‘spiritual’/heavenly blessings are permanent grace-based gifts from Abba, whereas our earthly blessings, though often delivered via the hands of others, and though also a gift from our Father [James 1:17], will, nevertheless, and unlike our heavenly blessings, sooner or later come to an end.

REJOICING WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE

Paul encourages the church at Rome to ‘rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep’ [Rom 12:15] Such a response would require of us that we identify and emotionally connect with other believers’ current experiences, most likely referring to their earthly circumstances, though perhaps not solely [e.g. the joy experienced by a new convert to Christ]. This connectedness requires a communal or team spirit, a non-competitive mindset that will empower us to genuinely rejoice from our heart, with the heart of a fellow believer who has or is experiencing something very positive and good. But such emotional connectedness will also empower us to come alongside someone who is suffering loss or sorrow and even weep with them.

CONFLICTED EMOTIONS

Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. But this same Paul shares his heart of deep concern, even sorrow for his fellow Jews who did not yet believe in Jesus as Messiah. ” I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart…for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh…” [Rom 9:2-3]. He again says “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing“..[II Cor 6:10]. Paul apparently carried about within himself the chronically conflicted emotions of joy and sorrow, and we are no different. We are not exempt from these conflicted feelings, they are just a normal part of our living in a very troubled world as we journey toward the ‘celestial city’, weeping and rejoicing…

Have you built a strong foundation for joy by saturating your mind with the biblical truths surrounding your spiritual/heavenly blessings that are yours in Christ? Do you continually thank God for ‘every good and perfect gift that comes down from above’ [James 1:17]? Have you freed yourself from enslavement to such a prideful and competitive spirit that you are unable to genuinely rejoice with others who may experience ‘earthly’ blessings that so far, have not come your way? Can you rejoice with the person who got first place that you coveted, when you ‘only’ got third? Are you so bound up inside of yourself that you would have a very hard time shedding tears for others who are suffering deep and painful losses?

May we learn to experience more and more of His Joy and develop more and more compassion for those who lack it. May you bless someone this week, in some way, that will prompt them to ‘rejoice in the Lord greatly!’.

CJS