Rejoice Always
I recently made the move from Seattle, Washington to just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And while there have definitely been things that I’ve enjoyed about this new place, something that I’m having a hard time with is the summer heat. I’ll admit, I was a little spoiled back in Seattle when it came to Seattle summers. With low humidity, there were only a few times that I broke a sweat. But the summer so far in Pennsylvania has been hot and humid, causing me to be a bit cranky.
I love going on multiple walks during the day, which has been a bit difficult with the summer heat. One morning, I decided to go for a walk before it became too hot. I opened the sliding glass door and was instantly hit with a wave of humidity. As I walked, the sun beat down upon me, and sweat began to stick to my skin. I typically listen to a band called Verses in the morning, which has different artists sing passages of Scripture. So it was a bit ironic that the particular song playing came from 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18:
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I can picture it now—my face frowning, skin sweating, as a cheery voice repeated the words “rejoice always” again and again in my ear. I remember laughing to myself, because I was clearly doing the opposite of what this verse was encouraging me to do.
Do you find yourself often struggling to rejoice? Do your circumstances keep you from giving thanks to the Lord? When we read 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, we might find ourselves thinking that Paul is encouraging us to do something that is practically impossible. How can we rejoice always? How can we give thanks in everything? Or as some translations say, in all circumstances? While what Paul says in these verses is challenging, it is not impossible, especially not for believers in Christ. As believers, we can truly rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances because of the joy we have in the Lord.
In his sermon on the fruit of the Spirit—joy, in particular—Tim Keller says, “Joy is the buoyancy that results from the enjoyment of the unchangeable privileges of God.” Keller’s words remind us that joy is not found in our circumstances. Joy is found in the Lord and experienced through Christ. We can’t know true joy unless we know God, the Giver of joy. David writes in Psalm 16:11, “You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” God in His kindness and grace has made it possible for us to be brought into a relationship with Him and experience eternal life through His Son, Jesus. The relationship we have with God, the salvation we have through Christ, and the eternal life that we have received are all gifts that produce joy in us.
So as believers, we can rejoice and give thanks because of who we belong to and what we have in Him. And unlike our circumstances, our relationship with the Lord and the blessings we have in Him will never change. This truth can be encouraging to us when we find ourselves in less than ideal situations. Even the hardest circumstances can lead us to rejoice because we know that we belong to the Lord and have abundant life in Him. Therefore, there is always something to be thankful for no matter our circumstances because of the life God has given us.
And in the moments when we struggle to rejoice, we can rely on the power of prayer. Paul nestles the words “pray constantly” in between his encouragement to “rejoice always” and “give thanks” in all circumstances. His words remind us that prayer is a conduit for praise. When we come to God in prayer, we are reminded of our relationship with Him and our union with Christ. We are reminded of what a gift it is to commune with our Heavenly Father. These truths bring us joy and motivate us to give thanks to God. Through prayer, we can also ask God to help renew our joy in Him and to help us focus on all the gifts that we have in Him.
Even on hot and humid days, joy is still possible. And even in the things that make us frustrated or bring us pain, joy is still possible. Our circumstances are temporary, but our God is eternal. And the blessings that we have in and through Him can never be taken away from us. So let us remember and rest in who God is and what we have in Him, allowing those truths to lead us to rejoice.
Additional Resources:
- Sacred Suffering: A Study on the Book of Job
- Pray: Cultivating a Passionate Practice of Prayer
- Satisfied Devotional
- Joy in the Waiting Mug
