Simple verse, isn't it? It's just that second word that makes it difficult. ALWAYS. Paul leaves us no outs...he doesn't say, "Rejoice when things are going great", or "Rejoice when you have no problems", or "Rejoice when your financial picture looks better than it ever has"...nope, Paul leaves it at, "Rejoice always."
How good are you at this? I think it all depends on how you view life. IF life, in your eyes, boils down to what we now see, hear, feel---physically experience---then it is hard to rejoice when what we are seeing, hearing, feeling, experiencing is anything less than pleasant. Our current circumstances will dictate whether we are joyful or not. If the difficult experience of today has no promise of blessing for tomorrow, why rejoice?
But, IF you see the life that we now know as the beginning of something beautiful, extremely beautiful, and that everything we currently experience can be of some eternal worth, experiences that our Heavenly Father uses to mold us and shape us into people of Christ-like character, then, yes, each moment of this less than perfect life can bring us into a joyful state.
As believers in Christ, who died for us to give us eternal life, we are to rejoice always. We are to constantly look beyond what life is showing us with reborn eyes, where we can see the Kingdom of God, the home that Jesus has gone to prepare for us, and the home that, the older I get, becomes so much more real to me.
Even in our darkest moments, when we have lost someone we dearly love, we can rejoice. We can rejoice knowing that they have not reached their end, they have reached their eternal joy. How absolutely true will these two words ring when we reach heaven's gates..."Rejoice always!"
How good are you at this? I think it all depends on how you view life. IF life, in your eyes, boils down to what we now see, hear, feel---physically experience---then it is hard to rejoice when what we are seeing, hearing, feeling, experiencing is anything less than pleasant. Our current circumstances will dictate whether we are joyful or not. If the difficult experience of today has no promise of blessing for tomorrow, why rejoice?
But, IF you see the life that we now know as the beginning of something beautiful, extremely beautiful, and that everything we currently experience can be of some eternal worth, experiences that our Heavenly Father uses to mold us and shape us into people of Christ-like character, then, yes, each moment of this less than perfect life can bring us into a joyful state.
As believers in Christ, who died for us to give us eternal life, we are to rejoice always. We are to constantly look beyond what life is showing us with reborn eyes, where we can see the Kingdom of God, the home that Jesus has gone to prepare for us, and the home that, the older I get, becomes so much more real to me.
Even in our darkest moments, when we have lost someone we dearly love, we can rejoice. We can rejoice knowing that they have not reached their end, they have reached their eternal joy. How absolutely true will these two words ring when we reach heaven's gates..."Rejoice always!"
1 comment:
We can rejoice always. Even when we are in pain, we can rejoice that God will bring an end to the pain. He leads us through darkness and the joy of knowing God's eternal love makes our hearts and our minds rejoice. God is always with us. His Holy Spirit is always fulfilling our needs. It because of us constant presence that we can Rejoice Always.
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