A Bible verse about rejoicing:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Philippians 4:4-5
I can tell when I am straying. Not immediately, but there’s always a point where I take a step back and think to myself, “Whoa, something is off.”
That something generally is a lack of gratitude. The magnitude of my worry directly correlates to this lack of gratitude. The less grateful I am, the more I worry.
To Combat This, Practice Rejoicing
This doesn’t come naturally to me. I am envious of other people, especially successful YouTubers. When I think of my “perfect” life, I would be doing the same thing.
I could have the freedom of working when I want and on what I want. My family wouldn’t have to struggle financially, and I wouldn’t spend a third of my life away from them.
I’ve seen other YouTubers grow from fledgling channels into highly successful ones. Over time, I fall into the trap of becoming envious. The more I envy, the more I see what I lack. That’s when I stop being grateful for what I do have.
Left untreated, this lack of gratitude will devolve into full blown depression. There doesn’t seem to be an answer, except for “No.” I can’t see a way out, so what’s the point of trying anymore?
In these moments, I feel abandoned. I am convinced that my prayers aren’t heard, and I’m doomed to live a life of mediocrity. Worse, I’m ashamed that I can’t provide for my family.
My Prescription for Rejoicing
My job requires an early morning commute. It’s something that I enjoy actually. I am provided a chance to wake up gradually and travel in a peaceful state.
It gives me an opportunity to ready myself for a shift, and also to decompress before returning home. Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed the ride in complete silence.
No music, no podcasts; just me, the road, and my thoughts.
When I feel myself slipping into despair, I need to refocus my thoughts, and I need to choose joy.
I do this by reciting several verses. Fun fact, this verse previously was not one of them, but perhaps it will be now.
I start with Philippians 4:13 because it’s one of my favorite, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”
This helps to relieve the burden. I’m not doing this alone, and I won’t be successful alone. I’m not doing it through sheer willpower or hard work. I am going to do it with Jesus.
I then remind myself that, “In all things, God works for the good of those that love Him.” Romans 8:28
This verse helps give me perspective. It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when faced with adversity.
Let me give you an example:
This past winter, the transmission went out on my truck. At the time, I was overwhelmed. It was all I could focus on – the financial obligations, the lack of a vehicle, the setbacks, and the repercussions.
Now I can look back and say that it was definitely inconvenient, but it wasn’t nearly the calamity I was making it out to be. In reality, our adversities hardly ever are.
Once we see the bigger picture, then we can understand how it was for our own good, only God is the only one who understands it at the time.
I’m still trying to understand how paying $5,000 at a time when we’re financially struggling is for my benefit, but I’m confident in the fact that it was and is.
The last verse I tell myself is Psalm 118:24, “Today is the day the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
This prepares me for the day – whatever may come.
Putting it All Together
God made today, and regardless of what comes I will rejoice. I can rejoice knowing that whatever happens is for my own good. Furthermore, I can be confident that with Jesus I can do ALL things.
Sometimes I have to repeat these verses multiple times. The more I recite them, the less I am burdened. Worry gives way to gratitude, and I am left feeling genuinely joyful.
When you think about it, we all would prefer spending time with a joyful person rather than a pessimist. If “actions speak louder than words,” I submit that the character exhibited by a joyful Christian is vastly more powerful than a “devout” Christian who’s good at memorizing verses.
These type of Christians remind me of the Pharisees of the Old Testament. Religious scholars that were more concerned with The Law, verbose prayers and rituals than the actual principles they were supposed to be teaching.
These type of Christians do more harm than good in the fact that they’re the first to slip into hypocrisy. The moment you claim to be a Christian, you’re being watched.
People revel in “catching” Christians doing non-Christian things. When their actions don’t line up with their words or ideology. That’s when the whole Christ story loses face with the non-Christians.
It was one of the main reasons that delayed my spiritual growth.
On the Other Hand
A genuinely joyful person is endearing to be in the presence of. A person who can laugh in spite of their pain is a testament to their character. Moreover, it leads credence to the Christ story, and it’s compelling to others.
I’m not saying that you’re a bad Christian if you have a bad day; I have plenty of them. I’m saying that in our mission to evangelize the world for Christ, we’d be much more successful if we focused more on what Jesus wants us to do:
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:37-39
Recap
I’m not where I want to be. Not professionally, not personally, and not spiritually. I believe that God gives us dreams and visions as a “preview of coming events” as Steve Harvey says.
I believe that He wants us to be successful in achieving our vision, so I’m not ashamed to say that I have a definite vision.
Maybe I’m wrong; perhaps I won’t ever achieve what I envision for myself. Maybe it’s not in the cards. Or, maybe it’s not my purpose. Until I’m told otherwise, I’m not going to give up on that dream.
In the meantime, I will make a concerted effort to being more grateful, to worrying less, and to be more pleasing to be around. The secret is to rejoice.
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