Rejoice Always!Sample

Day 2: Discover the Joy Within You

Choosing to rejoice over allowing sorrow to rule your day has such a powerful impact on your life. It has the ability to change your attitude, the way you treat others, and even the way you see the world! No matter what you’re facing today, you can still choose joy!

The Power of Rejoicing

Joy is such a powerful thing! When you do what First Thessalonians 5:16 and Psalm 118:24 tell you to do has the power to transform your life. The Bible even says in Nehemiah 8:10 that the joy of the Lord is your strength, which means when you choose joy, you are also choosing strength.

We find another incredible example of choosing joy in Philippians 4:4, which says:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

When he wrote this, the apostle Paul was trapped in a horrible prison. It was dark and damp, and death was all around him. Many scholars believe that he was chained up and standing in sewage, and there were likely pests and rodents crawling around everywhere. It was such a horrible place, it’s almost difficult to imagine! And in that prison, Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian church and mentioned the words “joy,” “rejoicing,” and “joyful” 19 times — in a mere four chapters, Paul spoke about joy 19 times!

It’s also interesting that Paul was able to write this while he was enduring the terrible conditions of that prison. But in the middle of this enormous obstacle, Paul told the believers in Philippi, “If I can rejoice, you can rejoice too!”

How many people around you are depressed and without hope? If you act just like them, you won’t be able to give them hope. But if you choose to have a joyful attitude, you can help those who are discouraged. Maybe you can pray for them, share a joke to lift their spirits, or simply flash them a smile. Whatever you do, you’re giving something out of your spirit and your heart. You’re giving them something they don’t have — something they desperately need: your joy!

People desperately need your joy. They need your encouragement. Most of us love being around people who are happy and joyful. Why? Because joyful people encourage us. Usually, a person who is happy or joyful lifts up the atmosphere of the room — and that power is in you! You have the fruit of the Holy Spirit inside you called joy, and it is powerful to change the atmosphere around you (see Galatians 5:22).

Gentleness Brings Joy

How do you choose to rejoice? Philippians 4:5 says:

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Gentleness helps us be joyful. The word “gentleness” pictures humility, patience, and steadfastness. It describes the attitude of someone who is able to submit to injustice, disgrace, and maltreatment without hatred and without malice.

In life, there will always be things we can’t control. For instance, you may encounter a person who is rude, unkind, or unjust. Instead of hating that person or being intimidated, by practicing gentleness, the power of the Holy Spirit inside you can help you get through your situation without hatred and without malice, trusting God in spite of it all. Now that is the mark of a powerful person!

How To Be a Powerful Person

People often think that holding on to an attitude of hate, resentment, judgment, or criticism projects power, or that they can protect themselves with their bad attitudes. Forgiveness and rejoicing are far more powerful than hatred. We see this same principle in Proverbs 16:32:

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

According to this verse, if you’re slow to anger, if you’re forgiving, if you choose to control your emotions, and if you choose to rejoice, you are better than the mighty. This is God’s opinion: Not only are we better than the mighty, but if we choose to rule our own spirit and control our emotions, we will be stronger and more powerful than a person who conquers a city!

Questions to Consider:

1. Proverbs 16:32 tells us that a truly powerful person is someone who is slow to anger and able to keep his or her emotions in check. Does this describe you? Take a moment to reflect on your answer.
2. Why was it so significant that Paul told the Philippian church to rejoice? How does this example of “rejoicing always” inspire you?