Philippians 4:4 says ”rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!”

To rejoice is to be glad in what you have materially. It is to acknowledge that all you have is on loan from God as a blessing you do not deserve. It is to acknowledge that you are merely a steward of what He has given you to be used to bring glory to God. To rejoice biblically in what you have means that your joy is in the kindness of who gave it to you more than what was given. To have the right priority regarding things enables you to not be sad or distraught when they are stolen, broken, or lost. You can rejoice even if God takes it all away because your joy is not in your things but in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

To rejoice is to be glad in who surrounds you. You rejoice in the spouse and children God has given you. You rejoice in the friend who stands by you and encourages you in your life. You rejoice in the love you have for others and the love they have for you. The greatest joy is knowing that the love of God for you never ceases and never fails. No human can love perfectly and consistently. There will even be times when those you love turn against you and cease to love you. Even then you can rejoice in the deep love of Christ whose love never fails.

To rejoice is to be glad in who reigns over you. You should rejoice in your parents and their sacrificial love for you. To be grateful that your mother went through the pain to bear you. To be joyful in a father who worked to provide for you for 18 years or more all the while finding time to take you camping or play with you in the back yard. To rejoice over the pastor of your church who diligently studies to lead you in the knowledge of God’s Word and prays for you and cares for you and your family.

You also rejoice in whoever leads the nation. Even if our leader turns the White House into a reality show, or our first lady ends up being a man, (Bill in a dress? Banish the thought!), or even if our president is an aged socialist with a walker and a cane! Regardless of who is over us we can rejoice that Christ is King!

To rejoice is to be glad in what God has in store for you in the future. When a person believes Christ died and rose again to save them, when they turn from their sin and ask Jesus to forgive them, they become a child of God. Then the level at which joy ceases to be obtainable no longer exists. A Christian can rejoice in any circumstance, even imminent death, because the worst thing that could possibly happen is that he dies and then is immediately ushered in to heaven to be forever with Jesus.

While you live out your life you can rejoice in sickness, tragedy, persecution, prosperity, poverty, sickness, in healthy times, in loss of friendships, and under good and bad leadership. You can rejoice always because God is sovereign and in complete control. You can rejoice that the God of the universe has a plan that mankind cannot alter and that plan ends with a glorious home in heaven for eternity for all who know Him as their Lord and Savior.

So, our joy that comes from Christ is promised and possible, without pause, regardless of our present circumstances and will continue on into the next life without interruption. Why not make it a point to decide to have joy even when we don’t feel joyful. Just rejoice in the Lord always and can I say it one more time? “Rejoice!”

Jerry Favor is pastor at Sagle Victory Baptist Church.