Rejoice always!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
Philippians 4:4

The Apostle Paul urges us to rejoice always.

Always!

Sure, Paul. Whatever you say. Haven’t you read the news lately? Should I rename you from Paul to Pollyanna? Haven’t you peeked inside my home, my school, my workplace, my neighborhood?

Well, Paul hasn’t but God has. In fact, God is already in those very places of struggle, discord, pain, suffering. God knows, God cares, God loves… and we are called to rejoice. For the love of God in Christ gives us the grace to see through those struggles to the strong power of God’s love working in them. And the grace to be agents of Christ’s healing and peace following Jesus to the lost, the least, the lonely. God’s angels on earth, in God’s grace. Building bridges of understanding, forgiveness, reconciliation, love.

We must remember God is present especially when we can’t perceive God’s presence. After all, on an overcast day, the sun is not absent. It’s shining as brightly as ever. The clouds are just between our eyes and the light, and we can start to believe that what is most obvious to our eyes is the all that exists. But the sun is still there.

So, Paul rightly calls us to rejoice… always! In all circumstances. For the Light of Christ is shining, bright as ever. This is not a rejoicing that pretends all is well. It is a stubborn intention to see and testify to the work of Christ that is also happening in and amidst the strife, breaking through and bringing new Life.

This is a choice to intentionally look for those places. Hold them to heart, tell your friends and neighbors you see them. Testify that God is doing a new thing! Can we not perceive it? (See Isaiah 43.)

Paul gives us a toolkit for perceiving the Christ-light breaking through the clouds. “Finally, beloved,” he writes, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

What specific instances do you see? In your immediate social circle or across the globe?

I invite you to do that right now. Pause for a moment. Think of the world around you, from near to far. What is:

one thing that is true?

one thing that is honorable?

one thing that is just?

one thing that is pure?

one thing that is pleasing?

one thing that is commendable?

one thing that is excellent?

one thing that is worthy of praise?

…happening in the world now just as it is, in spite of, or perhaps because of, the strife that also exists.

Rejoice! For God in Christ is at work with the strong love that will not let any one be lost. God’s love wins.