Rejoice Always? Really? By Greg Laurie

 

I needed to be reminded of this. Sometimes I forget. I know if I do somebody else did too, so hear is you reminder, lol.

Rejoice always? Really? by Greg Laurie, World Net Daily

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! When the apostle Paul wrote these words, he wasn’t kicking back on some Mediterranean beach. He was incarcerated, under house arrest because he had appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen. He was waiting for the time when he would have his moment with the leader of Rome.

Paul didn’t know what was going to happen. He didn’t know what his future would be. To make matters even worse, some of the Christians were against Paul and were criticizing him. So Paul, in a difficult situation, trapped in this prison cell under house arrest, said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NIV). In the original language, this is not a suggestion; it is a command.

Some people may be more prone to worry and anxiety than others, but that doesn’t rationalize it. I think we would all do ourselves a favor if we would stop taking ourselves too seriously and lighten up a little bit. I think we can find humor in a lot of situations, sometimes even very difficult ones.

In the worst circumstances imaginable, Paul was saying, “Hey everyone. News flash: Let’s all lighten up a little bit. Rejoice in the Lord always.” Anyone can rejoice when things are going reasonably well. But when you are facing adversity or hardship or sickness and then you rejoice, you are obeying God.

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