Read Philippians 4:4 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Discover
Paul’s life was one instance after another of things falling apart. But what he knew and lived out was that joy can be experienced and demonstrated in any circumstance, even when facing prison and death.
For most of us, joy isn’t the norm. When something challenging happens, our natural reflex is to complain, feel sorry for ourselves, worry incessantly, compare ourselves to others, or get angry. But our joy can’t be based on circumstances. It has to be found in the Lord. Paul gives a clear imperative: We don’t get a pass on this when things are bad. We’re told to rejoice in the Lord always.
To rejoice is to feel or show great delight. It’s joy on repeat. So much of life is outside our control, but we can always control our response to it. Maybe not at first, maybe not perfectly, but we can grow. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, remembering that He gives us hope beyond today’s circumstances. Let’s rejoice always.
• Rejoice always. What circumstances are you facing today or this week that are making it hard to be joyful? Write down today’s verse and post it in a spot where you’re most likely to face this circumstance. Every time you see it, read the verse out loud as a reminder to keep your eyes on Jesus and rejoice.
Respond
Use your Philippians Guidebook to reflect and respond. For a digital copy of the guidebook, visit tpcc.org/rebels-guide.
Want to go deeper? Look up the following verses for reasons you can always rejoice. What attributes of God do you see? Note what you observe and then continue with your time of response.
• Psalm 16:5-11