Everlasting Joy

Read Philippians 4:4-7 and Isaiah 12:2-6.

Paul says “Rejoice – always!”

This isn’t about expressing how you feel. It’s about deciding how to feel. Where was Paul when he wrote these words? In prison! In chains! The times were hard for him. But his attitude was so positive. He was full of joy. And he knew it was good for him and for others. So he told his supporters in Philippi: “Rejoice in the Lord always”.

If Paul could rejoice in that situation, can we rejoice in ours? It should be possible. Paul expected it of his readers.

There are real benefits in being thankful. It’s good for our souls. And it’s good for others. Paul mentions this in his next verse: “Let your gentleness be evident to all” (v 5). If we care about the gospel message, we want others to see it in the way we live. How does rejoicing – how does being thankful – help us to be gentle?

Paul’s next sentences give us a clue. The Lord is near. We are to use the presence of the Lord. The day of the Lord is coming, but we have access to the Lord right now in prayer. So “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (v 6).

Notice that our prayer is not just a list of demands. It’s not a log of complaints. It’s OK to ask for what you need, but it’s always with thanksgiving.

If you don’t pray, what’s the other option? Paul names it in the same verse. “Do not be anxious about anything”. That’s what you can expect if you don’t turn to prayer. Anxiety.

There are many reasons to be anxious. There are many troubles in this world. We know more and more about the world around us – global warming, pandemics, political tensions. And, the more we have a heart like Christ’s, the more we feel for our neighbours in distress. Paul knew that the Philippians were worried about him.

When you love with Christian love, you actually have more knowledge, more insight. That’s what we learnt last week. But this knowledge can be stressful. What can we do when the world is so full of need, and we are so helpless?

Paul’s already said it. We don’t get anxious; we pray. We do what we can, and then admit that we don’t have more power than we have been given. We leave the rest to God.

At the Charity Shop, my helpers can sometimes get upset about some of the visitors. We all know about tough customers: people who handle food, haggle about already low prices, threaten to call the manager and expect special service. They can test people’s patience. But we need to see them as God’s children. People with faults, but still loved children of God. That’s when we turn to prayer – to connect us again to the one who will take our burden and allow us to serve difficult people with gentleness.

That’s why Paul follows with the next line: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and bodies in Christ Jesus”.

Peace. The special peace of God. Not just peace-and-quiet, not just favourable conditions, but an inner peace. This special peace “transcends all understanding”. It’s a better thing than understanding. If we have understanding without the power to change, then we will be anxious. But the power to change doesn’t come from us. It comes from God.

Back in Isaiah, we see a short song of thanksgiving (Isa 12:1-6). It praises God because God offers salvation. God is to be feared, but also to be trusted. We don’t rely on our own resources, but on God’s strength and might.

The pattern in Isaiah is like Paul in his letter to the Philippians. Peace comes from knowing our limits, knowing God’s strength,and giving thanks. And joy springs from that peace. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isa 12:3) and, to finish, “Shout aloud and sing for joy, O people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you” (Isa 12:6).

Let’s join the rejoicing – and make it an everlasting habit!