The Command to Rejoice

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!" (Phillipians 4:4)

This New Testament Command is very familiar. But the command to "rejoice" resounds throughout the whole of Scripture, Old and New Testaments alike. Read through the book of Deuteromomy, the summary of the Old Testament law, and you might be suprised how many times the command to "rejoice" is repeated.

"...you shall rejoice in the Lord your God..." (Deut. 12:12); "you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all your undertakings" (Deut. 12:18); "you shall...rejoice...you and your household" (Deut. 14:26); "you shall rejoice before the Lord your God..." (Deut. 16:11). These are just a few examples of God's command for His people to rejoice.

In a broken and sin-cursed world, this is not always an easy command to obey.

There are times where it may seem well-nigh impossible. We might be tempted to think that God should have made "rejoicing" an option rather than a command!

"We might be tempted to think that God should have made "rejoicing" an option rather than a command!"

Is God insensitive to the reality of our pain? Look through the Word of God, and the answer to that is a resounding NO. He is very well aquainted with our pain, not only the pain of our external circumstances, but the internal suffering wrought by our sin and shame. The Lord Jesus Himself became the "Man of sorrows and aquainted with grief" (Is. 53:3). He walks with His children through the deepest of sorrows (Is. 43:2).

Why would God make rejoicing a command?

(Especially when He is fully aware that our condition and circumstances often cause us to feel anything but joyful.) I believe commanding us to rejoice implies several things.

1. The command to rejoice is a call to LOOK at Him.

We use vision words all the time to describe how we think. We choose our focus. To "look" at the Lord is to be intentional in our thoughts, and to direct them toward who He is. In doing this, we must look away from our horizontal circumstances where not all is well, and remember the nature and character of God who rules over all. We may be in the midst of agony, but we can still look away from that to God and remember who He is. He does not change. He is the God of hope.

2. The command to rejoice is a call to BELIEVE who He is.

The Word of God puts a high value on faith. As we look away from our circumstances to God, as we consider who He is, we can choose to trust that what He says of Himself is true. There can be joy in that, regardless of the internal or external struggles we are facing.

3. The command to rejoice is a call to CHOOSE our heart's stance toward God.

"Rejoicing" doesn't always imply a feeling. It's a choice we can make, as we look away from agony to God and believe what He says. It's a stance of heart, a determination. I WILL rejoice in the Lord, I WILL believe Him and trust Him...because He is God and does not change.

4. The command to rejoice is divine permission to ACCEPT the goodness of God!

The human heart is bent toward legalism. We tend to feel like we can only rejoice when we have somehow deserved to rejoice. But this is not God's way. He knows we deserve nothing but condemnation, and He bore the cost of that Himself. The death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is a finished work of redemption. The fact that He commands us to rejoice is an evidence of His kindness, as if to say, "you are FREE to be glad, because of who I am and what I have done for you."

"The fact that [God] commands us to rejoice is an evidence of His kindness..."

Just as the CAUSE of God's love for us is found in WHO HE IS, (not in who we are), so the CAUSE of our ability to rejoice is found in WHO HE IS, (not in ourselves or our circumstances). We can obey His command to rejoice because our joy is in HIM.