what did paul mean when he said, "rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!" it does seem like a cruel mockery when we look just at how bereft the reasons for rejoicing are. we are hard pressed to find any reason to celebrate. we who have been wounded, and jaded, and left behind. it is a hard life out there. but paul comes to us with this seemingly inappropriate advicse. rejoice. rejoice?! does that mean we can dare hope for better things? or in fact, we are better off than we first realized, hence we can rejoice, and not just rejoice, but to rejoice always. imagine that. does that mean under our very own noses are causes for celebration - for merry making. what could it be?
the phrase offers us a clue. "rejoice IN THE LORD" it said. in the Lord. not in your circumstance (for only the masochists could find reason to rejoice in troublesome circumstances). not in the future (who knows what it might bring). rejoice in the Lord. it is saying our reason for rejoicing is not the circumstance, not what is happening or will happen, but in the abiding presence of God, the source of all that joyful, lovely and peaceful. and He is with us. so this is why we rejoice. we rejoice in the Lord. Always.
the phrase offers us a clue. "rejoice IN THE LORD" it said. in the Lord. not in your circumstance (for only the masochists could find reason to rejoice in troublesome circumstances). not in the future (who knows what it might bring). rejoice in the Lord. it is saying our reason for rejoicing is not the circumstance, not what is happening or will happen, but in the abiding presence of God, the source of all that joyful, lovely and peaceful. and He is with us. so this is why we rejoice. we rejoice in the Lord. Always.
Comments