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“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

Did you know that joy is not a feeling? It is a choice—no matter our circumstances. This is actually true for Christians and non-Christians alike. But here, I want to speak to believers, because we have a great advantage in leading a joy-filled life. Maintaining joy is about staying focused on just one thing (well, one Person): the Lord. Now, this singular focus is multifaceted. And we can consider so many aspects of our astounding God.

First and foremost, there’s the joy of our salvation. We were dead! Now we’re alive with Christ (Romans 6; Ephesians 2; Colossians 2)! We are new creations—the old has passed, and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)! Our sins (past, present, and future) have been forgiven. We are free (Galatians 5:1). And there is nothing that this world, other people, or even Satan himself can do to take this away from us (Romans 8:31-39)!

Next, we can look back on everything the Lord has done for us—praising His name and boasting in Him for all the times He answered us, rescued us, and protected us (Psalm 34:1-9). There is no doubt that each one of us can glance in the rearview mirror and see where and when God’s hand guided, shielded, and flat-out miraculously intervened. We must rehearse these times of providence.

Moreover, it’s an act of obedience to be joyful. The Apostle Paul says it pretty clearly in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” And he says it again (twice) when writing to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” [3:1; 4:4] You can read these commands throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalms (check out these few: Psalm 5:11 Psalm 33:1-5, Psalm 97:12)

But the best part about choosing joy amid any and every circumstance? It just makes the minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years better. Even in the midst of suffering, pain, and sorrow—because these situations will happen. (Life is hard—even the Christian life.) Through it all, we do have a choice. We can be bitter, gripey, complaining, and anxious. Or we can keep our eyes on the Lord—His amazing grace, His mind-blowing blessings, His incomparable glory—and choose joy. Which will you choose today?

“Lord, despite my circumstances and even within my pain, You are Sovereign, and I am saved. So today I choose joy.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life