"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"
Philippians 4:4
"Gloom, despair, and agony on me; Deep, dark depression, excessive misery." Some of you remember those words from an old television program. It was part of a song that was to poke fun at how pitiful we think we are. I always loved the line of the song that said, "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." If ever there was a song of discouragement, this is it. I feel, however, that I'd rather hear a song of discouragement than watch a life of discouragement. It seems that some are trying to live out the lyrics to the song.
Unfortunately, many of those walking around with despair clearly on their faces are people who claim to be children of God. Now, I understand that difficulty comes into all of our lives, but surely life as a believer is not so bad that we should be walking around with sad or disgruntled faces. Some "believers" just look angry all of the time; they have a continually sour disposition. Some are always aching and moaning about their circumstances, finances, or health. If you stay still for too long when you are around them, you will get the whole story of their present calamity and those that they predict for the future.
I believe that it is time to recognize that we are children of the Most High God and start acting like it. We are blessed and privileged to be in God's family, and we have a hope that is sure. God saved us by giving us the most precious gift of His Son, and with that He has also given us the benefit of joy unspeakable and full of glory! It is there to claim for every follower of Christ, but you cannot hold on to your self-pity and joy at the same time. The anger that seethes up into your life is not from God but the enemy; it is a bitterness that can be overcome by the pleasant grace of God. As the bride of Christ you have experienced this grace, and it is now imperative that it flows out of you into the lives of others.
Paul said that he was going to always rejoice in the Lord. Always is a big word, because it means not only an amount of time but through all things. Then, to get his point across further, after he has told us to rejoice always, he gives the call once again to rejoice. There should be rejoicing on top of my rejoicing! Hallelujah, praise the Lamb for who He is and all that He has done! I am today without any doubt free from the guilt of the past and the judgment of my sin in the future. If you are with me, then we have much to rejoice about!
May you rejoice in God your Savior today!
Unfortunately, many of those walking around with despair clearly on their faces are people who claim to be children of God. Now, I understand that difficulty comes into all of our lives, but surely life as a believer is not so bad that we should be walking around with sad or disgruntled faces. Some "believers" just look angry all of the time; they have a continually sour disposition. Some are always aching and moaning about their circumstances, finances, or health. If you stay still for too long when you are around them, you will get the whole story of their present calamity and those that they predict for the future.
I believe that it is time to recognize that we are children of the Most High God and start acting like it. We are blessed and privileged to be in God's family, and we have a hope that is sure. God saved us by giving us the most precious gift of His Son, and with that He has also given us the benefit of joy unspeakable and full of glory! It is there to claim for every follower of Christ, but you cannot hold on to your self-pity and joy at the same time. The anger that seethes up into your life is not from God but the enemy; it is a bitterness that can be overcome by the pleasant grace of God. As the bride of Christ you have experienced this grace, and it is now imperative that it flows out of you into the lives of others.
Paul said that he was going to always rejoice in the Lord. Always is a big word, because it means not only an amount of time but through all things. Then, to get his point across further, after he has told us to rejoice always, he gives the call once again to rejoice. There should be rejoicing on top of my rejoicing! Hallelujah, praise the Lamb for who He is and all that He has done! I am today without any doubt free from the guilt of the past and the judgment of my sin in the future. If you are with me, then we have much to rejoice about!
May you rejoice in God your Savior today!
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