Rejoice
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4
This is one of my favorite verses! What makes this verse so encouraging is the context in which it was written. The book of Philippians is written by Paul and is filled with joy and thanksgiving.
At this point Paul is in prison and has written letters to various churches covering different topics, but it is in this letter that we see the contentment of Paul even while he is in prison. So recap: Paul is in prison and has been in there for some time, yet in this letter we see him encouraging the church. A little crazy right; you would think he would be the one needing encouragement?
I cannot tell you how many times things have not gone my way or worked out they way I had hoped and I find myself frustrated or disappointed.
The pressure that we can feel to be popular, be skinny, be smart, be funny, or be successful can lead us to feel discouraged. So easily we are consumed by the things the world is telling us that we can forget what the Lord has provided us - eternal life. It is through the Lord that we find this same source of joy that Paul is writing about.
This joy is the same that we feel when we are reunited with friends and the same joy that fills us as we follow the Lords path. Amidst the pressure and distractions look for ways to rejoice in the Lord daily, He provides us reminders of His loves and when we focus on those reminders we are filled with joy.