Skip to main content

Invest in Joy

                Life can be difficult.  Sometimes it seems that you just about get all the puzzle pieces in place and then something comes along and shakes everything up again.  There is always another problem or something more to worry about or sort out.  For those who feel this way, the Bible offers a one-word prescription:  Rejoice!
                Let me be perfectly clear: “Rejoice” does not mean “Be fake” or “deny reality”.  Pretending that nothing is wrong will not help anything.  Rejoice, though, is a reminder to focus on your blessings and not just your problems.
                Writing from prison, where he was unfairly locked up for doing good, Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).  Note that this is a command.  It is not an optional, take it or leave it, sort of thing.  As well, it is worth noting that rejoicing has nothing to do with our specific circumstances.  In fact, the command is to rejoice “always” or “continually”.  The reminder here is that, while life is not always easy or the way we would like it, there is always good to be found if we choose to look for it.
                Paul then gives them a solid reason to rejoice: “The Lord is near!” (Philippians 4:5).  That could mean that the Lord’s return is near.  In other words, “Do not be so concerned about what is going on right now. Rather, think about the next life”.  That is a good reminder, but I am not convinced that is his point.  What I think he means is, “You are not alone!”.  God is close.  He sees and understands what you are going through.  You do not have to carry this burden by yourself.  The very creator of the universe can strengthen, heal, comfort and walk with you if you let him.
                Again, this is not about denying your feelings or being unrealistic.  It is perfectly acceptable to feel all the things you are feeling.  However, as difficult as it might be, look around.  You may be surprised by the blessings that still surround you.
                “Rejoice… pray with thanksgiving… present your requests to God.  And the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-8).
                You may not get to choose your circumstances, but you always get to choose how you go through them.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dark and Light

            When you look out at the world, what do you see?             Some see nothing but trouble and pain.   They point to things like poverty, crime, problems with drugs and alcohol and marriage break-ups and say that the world is full of sadness and sorrow.   Watch the news for even a half hour and you will get the idea that the world is a dark place.             Others see nothing but good.   They appreciate generous people in their community.   They think about their friends and neighbours and smile.   They marvel at the beauty of sunrises and stars at night.   To them, the world is a bright and wonderful place.             You may be surprised that the Bible supports both of these world views.   On one hand it says things like, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the
1 comment
Read more

New Article: Five Words to Improve Your Relationships

                 In the late 1800s, it was common for railway companies to plant formal gardens beside their stations.   These gardens were filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruit trees.   Sometimes they also featured a kitchen garden growing lettuce, carrots, corn, and potatoes.   Estevan’s Canadian Pacific Railway Garden was once located where Mid-City Plumbing and Heating is today.                The purpose of these gardens was to show what the land could produce.   After hours and sometimes days of riding across the featureless prairies, the railways wanted to show settlers the potential of their new home.   The gardens showed what was possible and they encouraged the settlers to transform their own land and discover its potential too.                Today’s verse acts similarly, in that it challenges us to find the potential in
Post a Comment
Read more

Forgetting What Is Behind

                   Generalizations are helpful because they show a pattern that is normally true. However, they are also dangerous because they ignore the exceptions to the rule.                  Here is my generalization:   It is a quality of the strong to be able to forget the past and move on.   The apostle Paul summarizes this idea when he states, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Too often, we trip over things that are behind us.   We remember and nurse old hurts.   We rehearse mistakes that no one else recalls.   In doing so, we pull the past into the present and allow it to dictate how we feel right now.   In these cases, we would be better off “forgett
Post a Comment
Read more