Rejoice in the Lord always.
—Philippians 4:4
If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve learned that you’re not going to get through life without encountering some storms. Jesus shoots straight with you, saying, “In this world you will have trouble” (Jn 16:33).
So, when Paul writes, “Be joyful always . . . give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thes 5:16), you may balk. And then he comes up with this: “We also rejoice in our sufferings” (Rom 5:3). What?!
He doesn’t deny our sufferings. Neither does he define them. Why? Probably because your suffering is different from mine, and mine from yours, and ours from others. Your suffering is uniquely yours.
Jesus gives you a heads-up that you will cross paths with trouble—but then says, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So, stake your claim to joy.
Our joy is in direct proportion to
how connected we are to Jesus.