The Call to Rejoice
As Christians, we often ponder over what to do when at the crossroads of life. When challenged with the issues of life; when things seem overwhelming and pressures mount on every side, what should we do, when we do not know what to do?
The Bible has a ready solution for us: to rejoice, at all times.
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
The ability to rejoice in spite of adverse circumstances is one of the highest indicators of spiritual maturity. It is an indicator that we know the Lord as ultimate power and trust Him enough to believe that He will see us through then challenges of life.
1 Thessalonians 5: Rejoice evermore.
This charge to rejoice is especially relevant when we suffer misunderstandings, rejections and persecutions from those who do not see why we continue to believe in the Lord and preach the gospel. Instead of feeling bad or offended, the Lord Jesus invites us to take on the battle axe of rejoicing:
Matthew 5: 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Paul the apostle was a man who experienced extraordinary adversity from both Satan, evil forces, false brethren and idol worshippers. After the enemy had thrown the sink at him, Paul emerged unscathed because of the attitude of rejoicing through it all. No wonder he penned these immortal lines:
Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Brothers and sisters, what are you going through at this time? Even if you are going through the proverbial shadow of darkness, it is best to dispel the gloom of your environment and space with the one virtue and activity which nullifies all the works of Satan and cancels out the capacity of Demons to drag you down.
Philippians 4: 1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
