Christians Should ‘Rejoice Always’
Merriam-Webster defines ‘rejoice’ in this way, ‘to feel joy or great delight’. There are several passages in the New Testament where Paul instructs us to ‘rejoice’. These passages carry a sense of urgency or command, as if Paul were saying that a Christian is to be full of joy and he is urging believers to make sure that their relationships with God and others are relationships that produce joy (Philippians 3:1, 4:4).
Paul writes in First Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (ESV). This joy, prayer, and thanksgiving should characterize the life of the Christian. It is God’s will for the believer (see v. 18); this is how God wants us to live. “Rejoicing always” does not mean that we are to paste a fake smile on our faces no matter what is going on in our lives or the lives of those we love. It means that we are to remain steadfast in our knowledge that God is our strength and comfort, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves. If our relationship with Jesus is right, and we confess and repent of any sin of which we are aware, we will experience this supernatural joy at all times…whether those times be good or bad.
