Are YOU Rejoicing?

Everytime something happens that is frustrating, no fun, blah, sad, WHATEVER - Rance and I shout at the top of our lungs "REJOICE" or at least remind each other to do so.  Why?  Let me tell you why...

THE WORD OF GOD says so!

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say REJOICE! ~ Philippians 4:4

Paul did not say to “be happy,” but “rejoice in the Lord.”  What does this mean?  We are to “Rejoice in the Lord,” not our circumstances. Our rejoicing is to take place in Christ. We are to delight in Him.

When do you find it difficult to “rejoice in the Lord always”?  I'm sure we would all agree that there are certain things, situations, circumstances that we all find really hard to clap our hands & rejoice in whether it's a sickness, a job, a family situation, a relationship, dealing with a coworker, a death, or whatever the case may be.  We allow Satan to steal our joy and we become so consumed by the situation that we forget the bigger picture.  It's okay to cry, hurt, miss someone - Jesus felt all of those things too when He lived on earth in the flesh.  We don't have to LOVE the situation we are in, that's not what Paul is saying, but we can choose to rejoice & delight in Him because at the end of the day God is still God no matter what this messy world throws at us.  “Rejoicing in the Lord” is something every Christian can do regardless of the chances, changes and circumstances that come...


(Side note:  Keep in mind, this is something the Lord is teaching me so I'm really preaching to myself here)

Think about this...
 If you are a believer in Jesus Christ everything that really matters in this life and the next is yours in Christ.  Is your hope fixed on Jesus Christ?  Rejoice in Him!  Psalm 37 says “Delight yourself also in the Lord.” Do you delight in knowing you have been saved by grace through faith in Christ? If so, Rejoice with all your heart and soul!  Do you delight in knowing Jesus Christ died as your substitute on the cross? Rejoice in the Lord!  Rejoicing is realizing that God didn’t have to save me, but He did, free of charge, no matter how much I fail Him. Rejoicing is thanking God that, one day, Satan will be forever locked up into everlasting torment.  Rejoicing is knowing that “all things work together for our good, who are called according to His purpose,” (Romans 8:28).  Rejoicing means that because we have a SAVIOR that loves us so much - we will never have to spend eternity in hell where there is no possible way to rejoice ever again...

Whatever happens REJOICE in HIM. That is an attitude. Even those hard situations, times of long-suffering, or even small little frustrations in your day...as a believer you can fix your eyes on HIM and REJOICE always. 

Fix your heart on an attitude of REJOICING!

Have you learned to rejoice in everything?