Rejoice

Philippians 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord, always, again, I will say rejoice”. 

The first and last of the 10 words of this command are rejoice. Rejoice is an interesting word. If we are honest for moment, I bet we can’t think of the last time we used the word rejoice, other than when we think of this verse or other verses in the Bible. This is a common word in the whole of the Bible though. Rejoice is used multiple times in this 4-chapter book. In fact, this is the 3^rd time rejoice is commanded in this letter. In the Old Testament this word is also translated; gladden, to be merry, or to be of good cheer. Rejoicing is a common picture in the Bible, but not a common word we probably use in our lives. We typically don’t say, “let us rejoice in the Eagles win, rejoice in the raise at work, or I shall rejoice when my son is born”. What does rejoice mean then? Rejoice is the expression of joy. So, what is joy and is joy different than happiness? Understanding what joy is and the difference between joy and happiness is the key to this verse. 

I think it is interesting how Webster’s dictionary defines joy; “A feeling of happiness that comes from success, good fortune, and a sense of well-being”. Joy is a state of being that is deeper than surface level stuff, which Webster’s gets a little right. But if we understand what the Bible says about joy, it goes much deeper than a feeling of happiness. Yes, joy is a state of being. Joy is a mental state. Joy is a condition of the heart. Joy is also a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is a spiritual condition of the soul. This takes it much farther than how the world defines joy. Joy is not; a season of life, a set of circumstances, a situation of goodness, a reaction to pleasure, an emotional feeling, a physical feeling (like goose bumps), or a time in our lives. 

Joy runs deep. Joy is commanded by God, which means it is something we do, control, and “put-on” rather than something dictated from the outside. Joy is rooted deep on the inside. God commands this joy always. Here is what I would define joy as then; it is something that is more than happiness. It is the deep satisfaction of the soul; believing God, obeying His will, receiving His forgiveness, participating in the fellowship of the believers, ministering to others, and sharing the gospel. We become joy.

Here is another reality of joy. Think about all the ways you can be happy. You can be happy when you get a raise at work. You can be happy when your sports team win. You can be happy when your kids obey you. You can be happy while watching a sunset on a beautiful night. You can be happy when you find a parking spot close to the door at Walmart. You can be happy on the last day of school. But when we stop and think about it, happiness comes and goes. Go back to all of those examples. We are not happy when we lose our job. We are not happy when our sports team loses. We are not happy when our kids disobey us. We are not happy on a rainy day in a flooded basement. We are not happy when we have to walk from the back of the parking lot. We are not happy on the first day of school. Happiness comes and goes based upon the life and world around us. But joy stays. 

This means we can be sad and yet joyful at the same time. As 2 Corinthians 6:10 says, “sorrowful yet always rejoicing”. We can be sad and yet still be full of joy. Happiness comes and goes but joy stays. Now let me be clear, being joyful in a sad or painful situations does not mean we put on fake actions or fake faces and grins or fake “feelings”. That is an unreasonable theology. Joy is deeper than happiness, which means happiness can leave, yet we are still joyful. This is what I mean by, “we become joy”. As someone once said, “holy joy is the chief Christian duty”.

And that brings us to the last thought on this single word. Joy is a holy joy because it is a state of being that comes from God within us. Christian joy is a basic and constant orientation of the Christen life, the fruit and evidence of a relationship with the Lord. Our joy comes from our relationship with God. As Augustine once said, “that which God commands, he also gives to His children”. Having joy in our lives is a command of God to His people. But God also empowers us with this joy because of our relationship with him, our union with Christ, and the Holy Spirit within us. Yes, this is a command. But it is a command God endows us with, deep within our hearts with the Holy Spirit. 

It demonstrates on the outside, the inward union we have with God. This is why it is called a fruit of the Spirit. Happiness is a thing the world can have. And for the world, true happiness is all they seek. But for us, as God’s children, we have something deeper, wider, more powerful, and greater than simple happiness. We have joy and we have this joy expression itself on the outside as we rejoice. And understanding this final part of joy, we begin to realize the point of the other 8 words of this simple verse. If joy is deeper, it is continuous, and it comes from our union with Christ, then it will be “in the Lord” and “it will be always”. The key to the Christ life and the key to our relationship with God, and the key to this simple imperative is “ the joy of God flowing in us”.