SHARE THIS POSTThe Bible says we are to rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4). The prefix re- means again and again. Why aren’t we walking around joyful all the time? It might be because the world takes our joy away. If we think about terrible things, our thoughts are going to turn negative. When we laugh, it releases endorphins that lift us up. Rejoicing is like brushing our teeth, washing clothes or our car. We can’t do it just once, and it lasts forever. We must redo it, over and over.
Joy Cannot Be Dependent On Circumstances
We might receive a mean text, an angry phone call, and those Facebook friends may not be friends, and none of that should be allowed to influence our day. We need to say, I’m going to rejoice today, I lost my job, I consider it all joy (James 1:2). As a preacher, I see someone sleeping in the congregation and I choose to think, “Hey that person is getting some rest, they apparently needed some sleep.” I refuse to entertain the thought that my preaching is putting them to sleep. I choose to focus on the good things. There is always an alternative to a negative thought. We always have a choice.
Be Encouraged
Lord, each day we trade in our complaints for thankfulness. We will watch Red Box or Netflix and rediscover our laughter. We will rejoice again and again. We will think about and repeat your word. We are so thankful for you, and we know that you have given us so much more than we could ever give you. Amen!
