Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
Joy is a major theme for the Philippian believers and should also be one in our lives. Paul has inserted the theme of joy throughout this letter. He prays with joy (1:4-5), dies with joy (2:17-18), and lives with joy in the Lord (3:1). Joy is a composed, inner conviction that God is in control of all circumstances, even those of Paul’s imprisonment! It is evidence of the Spirit’s presence (Gal. 5:22; Rom. 14:17). “In one sense, this injunction is so self-evidently right that it is embarrassing that we should have to be reminded of it” (Carson, Basics for Believers, p. 104).
Believers are to rejoice (rest in God’s control) “always.” Theoretically, there is never a time when we should question God’s care for us. When we do, our joy is the first thing to go. After all, if no One is in control, then life is ultimately meaningless, history is going nowhere, and hope is a mere illusion.
Certainly, the beginning of our joy is knowing that our sins have been forgiven once and for all and that we’re on our way to heaven (1 Pt. 1:8-9). But, it does not end there; it actually begins there! Paul calls on the Philippians to rejoice while he was under arrest, imprisoned, and possibly facing death! Although our joy should not be derived from our circumstances (“rejoice in the Lord”), there is a sense in which we can and must find joy in our circumstances because “we know that in [not from] all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28). It is with this mindset that we find God’s strength (“the joy of the LORD is your strength,” Neh. 8:10).
Hence, our joy is related to our sense of God’s meticulous sovereignty (Mt. 10:29-31). When are we to rejoice? “Always!” How long are we to rejoice? “Always!” Here there is no blind optimism, but a deep sense that God is “always” there for us to rejoice in Him, despite our lot in life. Here there is healing and wholesome living. Here there is wellness of soul. Here we come face to face with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
— Katharina von Schlege, 1752