Cheerfulness Protects Us

Paul also prayed cheerfully, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” (v. 4).This is the first of sixteen times Paul uses the word joy in this letter. Oh, how many times during periods of discouragement have I read through Philippians, circling every reference to joy and rejoicing.

“Rejoice in the Lord,” Paul repeatedly advised. “It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you” (3:1). This isn’t a suggestion. It’s a commandment to rejoice in the Lord. The Greek word for safeguard, asphales, means to be secure and rendered safe. In other words, we rejoice in the Lord because that attitude, that activity, is like a protective shield around us.

If you’re moody, I want to encourage you to go to the Bible and find out what it says about the joyful life. Use the word search function at a Bible website such as Bible Gateway to notice how many times these words appear: joy, rejoice, blessed, glad, delight, comfort, celebrate, enjoy, happy, cheer, merry, overjoyed.

My search through the New International Version counted these words more than one thousand times. It comes almost exactly to three verses for every day of the year, without repeating any of them. I can tell you from personal experience that nothing compares to searching out these verses and making a list of the ones that the Lord especially wants to give you.

I recall the first time I really got hold of Nehemiah 8:10: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I’ve visualized joy as an energy factory inside of me, generating enthusiasm and strength for living. I recall finding Psalm 100 at a time when I was serving the Lord out of a sense of duty and drudgery. It says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness” (KJV). That really changed the way I went into every day’s duties. Write down the verses that speak to you. Put them on cards. Memorize them. Internalize them. When you feel anxious, go to your cheerful verses and claim them. Find ways of keeping these verses at the forefront of your attention.

Action

Journal or talk with a friend about how consciously choosing a cheerful attitude transforms the circumstances you face.