Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

                                                                                               Philippians 4:4-5 

All of us seem to be searching for the same thing. We want to be happy and have a life in which we find fulfillment and joy. We search for these things because God has designed us to enjoy Him and the life that He has given us. Everywhere that you look in scripture, we see admonitions to be glad and to rejoice. As believers, that is to be our lifestyle and when we fail to experience that abundant type of life, it can affect us as well as those around us. Of course the key to this type of joy and fulfillment is not through the pursuit of worldly success (that satisfies only temporarily), this kind of joy is found in enjoying a relationship with God.

When Paul says to rejoice in the Lord, he is using a word that means to be glad and to thrive. Are we living lives that rise above merely existing? Are we living the kind of lives in which others take notice? Are we thriving and not merely surviving? When we are filled with joy and gladness, we are able to thrive and to be effective in living out God’s design for our lives. Thriving involves flourishing, prospering, and succeeding. When we thrive, we are growing and becoming vigorous for God, for Christ, and for His kingdom. Said a different way, joy is fuel for life!

And how do we exemplify this lifestyle? Paul’s next declaration answers that very question. As believers we are to let our gentleness be known to everyone. This gentleness is to be patient, kind, fair, and mild-mannered. It literally means to have lenience. Have we ever considered the connection between joy and gentleness? It would seem that the more joyful a person is, the gentler they become. Contrast that with those who are not very happy. Unhappy people tend to lash out at others and become very demanding. I believe that the joy of the Lord will produce in every believer the ability to have a heart and attitude of gentleness.

So how do we build in a heart and attitude of joy? I would like to make the following suggestions.

1. Let God be God by not taking on the troubles of the whole world.

One way to strip away any joy we might be experiencing is to immerse ourselves in the troubles of the world. This is not a call to “stick our heads in the sand” rather we should be aware and concerned with what is going on around us. However, we can accomplish this without “taking on” those things. Guarding our hearts against the temptation of trying to control every situation will allow the joy of the Lord to flourish. God is God, we are not, and He is not asking for us to be. Rather, we should focus on what He has called us to do.

2. Respect the freedom and rights of others to make their own decisions.

As Christians, there are three things that we should be consistently doing in the world. We are to love others, share the gospel with others, and pray for others. These three actions should be ongoing but when all of this has been done, we have to allow people to make the decisions that they feel are necessary for their life. This is not an easy thing to do but imperative if we are to bask in the joy of the Lord. When those whom we love and care for are living outside of God’s will, it can be difficult to watch. But we have to remember that not even Jesus chased people down (Mark 10:17-27). When someone determines to resist the work of God in his/her life, we are to remain available but must simultaneously respect that person’s right to believe or reject.

3. Focus on what God is doing in our lives.

This may seem selfish on the surface but it is not. Knowing the Lord, relying on Him, and watching Him work in our lives is what will bring us joy. Finding purpose in the Lord and then being obedient to pursue that purpose brings tremendous victory and makes our lives effective for doing kingdom work. Although persecution might come from the world regarding our commitment to God, this too is a reason to be joyful (James 1:2-4, Matthew 5:10-12).

Christian joy is found relationally as we enjoy God and the life that He has given us. This joy does not have to be artificially manufactured, as with much of the world merely attempting to cope. Believers should be experiencing joy in season and out. So rejoice in the Lord always and again I will say rejoice!