Philippians 4:4 “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again –rejoice!”
Joy, more than any other word, sums up Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul finds joy in serving, believing, giving, and yes, even suffering. In fact, Paul writes this optimistic letter from a prison cell! If I were writing from a prison cell, my theme would certainly not be joy. But Paul finds joy in everything because everything can bring him closer to Christ. The secret of joy is grounded in a relationship with Jesus. Happiness, in contrast, is grounded in outer circumstances. It depends on what we have, who we’re with, or where we are. Yet, in the end all these things are insufficient and fleeting. This is why Paul can count all these things as “worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus.” Joy runs deeper. . . it is the confident assurance that God’s mercy and kindness is at work in our lives. Joy is the “peace that surpasses all understanding,” which does not depend on external conditions but depends solely on Christ. No matter what happens we can still know He reigns, and we can still know He is with us. Thus, we, like Paul, can “learn to be content in every situation. . . whether we have much or very little” and we can “always be full of joy in the Lord!
Joy, more than any other word, sums up Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul finds joy in serving, believing, giving, and yes, even suffering. In fact, Paul writes this optimistic letter from a prison cell! If I were writing from a prison cell, my theme would certainly not be joy. But Paul finds joy in everything because everything can bring him closer to Christ. The secret of joy is grounded in a relationship with Jesus. Happiness, in contrast, is grounded in outer circumstances. It depends on what we have, who we’re with, or where we are. Yet, in the end all these things are insufficient and fleeting. This is why Paul can count all these things as “worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus.” Joy runs deeper. . . it is the confident assurance that God’s mercy and kindness is at work in our lives. Joy is the “peace that surpasses all understanding,” which does not depend on external conditions but depends solely on Christ. No matter what happens we can still know He reigns, and we can still know He is with us. Thus, we, like Paul, can “learn to be content in every situation. . . whether we have much or very little” and we can “always be full of joy in the Lord!
– Rev. Brandon Dasinger, Missions Pastor