Rejoice Always

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again.  Rejoice! 

– Philippians 4:4

I find that rejoicing in the Lord comes naturally when things are going well.  It’s easy to do when the sun is shining, when I’m standing on a mountain top, walking along a beautiful beach, or toasting true love.  But when lightning comes close, or when I’m facing conflicts and crisis, rejoicing sometimes seems impossible. 

Where were you the last time you radiated with happiness?  What were you doing?  Who were you with?  Wasn’t it wonderful?

When I picked up our sixteen-year-old daughter at the airport last week from a ten-day mission trip in Belize, she beamed with happiness and excitement.  Even though she had slept on the floor, showered in a “disgusting bathroom,” stepped over scorpions, shoveled cement for hours, and come face to face with live tarantulas, she loved every minute of the trip.  Why?  Because when involved with a service project, she feels fully alive.  She has found her passion and I am so pleased.

I realized that when my daughter is happy, I experience joy.  Then it dawned on me: there is a profound difference between happiness and joy.  I wasn’t happy picking her up late at night from the airport in the middle of a very stressful week.  Listening to my daughter enthusiastically describe her week of service to others, without cell phones, makeup, and teen social pressures, I found my depleted heart filling up with joy.  She was joyful, and it was contagious.

Joy is a gift we receive from God even in the midst of hardships, disappointment, and fear.  Joy shows up when God pours it into our souls or we choose to rejoice in the midst of pain, sorrow, and anger.  

Let’s choose to rejoice in the Lord who is always good, loving, and compassionate.  Again I say, let’s rejoice today no matter how happy we are.  Let your joy be contagious!

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