Thoughts on Rejoicing in the Lord
"Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice."
The New Testament commands Christians everywhere to rejoice in God. This is a troubling command for many because it is not always clear just what a joyful person is supposed to look like. Certainly, there is an aspect to joy that contains an emotional component. But does this mean, that Christians are to go through life with plastic smiles and cheery expressions even when confronted with the inevitable consequences of living in a fallen world? Not that there is anything wrong in facing life with a positive outlook. Of all people who live on this planet, Christians have every reason to look to the future with an unbridled optimism. It strikes me though, that there is a difference in living with the knowledge that when we die, we will be in the presence of Jesus for all eternity and going through life with an almost bubble headed attitude that the problems we face do not exist. Worse still, is the mindset that says, your life should be free from struggle and if you are facing turmoil, there is something inherently wrong with your spiritual walk. How then are we to reconcile the biblical tension between rejoicing always and facing jobloss, terminal illness, false accusation, death of a loved one in a way that is consistent with the historic Christian Faith?
The Psalms are quite clear that all of us will face times of life that seem at the time unbearable. We will question our faith; call out to God and receive silence; fall into depression and even believe the lie that death would be preferable than continued existence. The Psalms are also quite clear that our ultimate hope resides in God and He will redeem those that are His. When a glimpse of His holiness and majesty recaptivates our hearts and minds, then we can truthfully sing praises to His glory. He reorients our thinking in order that can live life in a manner that is consistent with the biblical witness. The Psalms are brutally honest. Anyone who has lived a number of years can readily identify with the heartcry of the writers. There are episodes in life that are horrific. It is our response during these times of horror that I think defines the nature of biblical joy.
We cannot allow outward circumstances to determine how we are to relate to God. Our relationship with God must come prior to anything that happens to us whether good or evil. Nasty circumstances will occur. The solutions to these nasty circumstances will determine whether or not we are actually rejoicing in the Lord. For example, in our quest for the elusive dream of happiness, an expression that is often heard is "just one more." If only I had one more................. then I would be really happy. The missing blank determines our mental state and all too often our spiritual relationship with God.
The error here, is that we are empowering something other than God to take the place of God. We may find ourselves in some sort of material hot water or feel very strongly that there is something missing in life that is depriving us of any sense of joy. We should not minimize these thoughts or feelings. They are real and do cause all sorts of problems. Neither should we allow these thoughts and feelings to determine the nature of our relationship with God, for when we do, we will seek relief from these thoughts and feelings in ways that usurp the preeminence of God in our lives. All too often, many of us fall into the trap of thinking, if only I had the right car, job, wife, income, clothes, lifestyle, education, family, friends etc. as a response to the turmoil that is plaguing us, then and only then could we be happy. There is nothing inherently evil in any of the items listed above. Most are very good. But they can become evil when we seek to find our ultimate joy on things temporal and not in the person of God.
Pain in life is a reality. Struggle will happen to all of us. We will all lose loved ones at some point. True joy comes in the freedom and knowledge that our eternal and sovereign God knows this, understands this and best of all has provided a sympathetic high priest, Jesus Christ, who in all points identifies with the human condition and yet never yielded Himself to temptation like the rest of us. Our joy comes in knowing that God is in control and that in spite of our outward circumstances, nothing will separate us from the love of God which is in found in Christ Jesus. Given this, why would we even attempt to find joy in things that will ultimately perish? Why would we empower something or someone other than God to determine how we are live?
Soli Deo Gloria
The Psalms are quite clear that all of us will face times of life that seem at the time unbearable. We will question our faith; call out to God and receive silence; fall into depression and even believe the lie that death would be preferable than continued existence. The Psalms are also quite clear that our ultimate hope resides in God and He will redeem those that are His. When a glimpse of His holiness and majesty recaptivates our hearts and minds, then we can truthfully sing praises to His glory. He reorients our thinking in order that can live life in a manner that is consistent with the biblical witness. The Psalms are brutally honest. Anyone who has lived a number of years can readily identify with the heartcry of the writers. There are episodes in life that are horrific. It is our response during these times of horror that I think defines the nature of biblical joy.
We cannot allow outward circumstances to determine how we are to relate to God. Our relationship with God must come prior to anything that happens to us whether good or evil. Nasty circumstances will occur. The solutions to these nasty circumstances will determine whether or not we are actually rejoicing in the Lord. For example, in our quest for the elusive dream of happiness, an expression that is often heard is "just one more." If only I had one more................. then I would be really happy. The missing blank determines our mental state and all too often our spiritual relationship with God.
The error here, is that we are empowering something other than God to take the place of God. We may find ourselves in some sort of material hot water or feel very strongly that there is something missing in life that is depriving us of any sense of joy. We should not minimize these thoughts or feelings. They are real and do cause all sorts of problems. Neither should we allow these thoughts and feelings to determine the nature of our relationship with God, for when we do, we will seek relief from these thoughts and feelings in ways that usurp the preeminence of God in our lives. All too often, many of us fall into the trap of thinking, if only I had the right car, job, wife, income, clothes, lifestyle, education, family, friends etc. as a response to the turmoil that is plaguing us, then and only then could we be happy. There is nothing inherently evil in any of the items listed above. Most are very good. But they can become evil when we seek to find our ultimate joy on things temporal and not in the person of God.
Pain in life is a reality. Struggle will happen to all of us. We will all lose loved ones at some point. True joy comes in the freedom and knowledge that our eternal and sovereign God knows this, understands this and best of all has provided a sympathetic high priest, Jesus Christ, who in all points identifies with the human condition and yet never yielded Himself to temptation like the rest of us. Our joy comes in knowing that God is in control and that in spite of our outward circumstances, nothing will separate us from the love of God which is in found in Christ Jesus. Given this, why would we even attempt to find joy in things that will ultimately perish? Why would we empower something or someone other than God to determine how we are live?
Soli Deo Gloria
posted by Heinz G. Dschankilic at 12:36 PM
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