The church is instructed to “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). The word translated “rejoice” means to be full of cheer. Along with all the other duties in 1 Thessalonians 5, we are instructed to be filled with joy always – not an easy task sometimes.
The first century church is our excellent example. It was joyful. Christians “took their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God…” (Acts 2:46-47). Joy is sometimes missing from the hearts of many believers today. We let worry replace joy too often. Christians need to be reminded that we have many reasons to rejoice. When the Ethiopian was baptized into Christ, “he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). Because our sins are washed away and we have hope of life eternal, we should “rejoice evermore.” God has blessed us greatly. Rejoice!
Joy comes from within our hearts when we trust in God and believe His promises. If we are not joyful, we may have allowed our faith and trust in God to decline. We may not always be happy about our circumstances, but we can rejoice in our salvation and the blessings of God. Paul and Silas were certainly not happy about being in prison, but they were praying and singing hymns to God at midnight (Acts 16:25). They realized they still had reason to rejoice!
How might we exhibit our joy? We can express our joy in worship to God from whom all blessings flow. Worship toward God is a natural outpouring of our joy and adoration. We can also make known our joy by being positive, optimistic and cheerful in our everyday lives. In every area of our lives, we need to obey the command, “rejoice always.” If we are going to be seen as lights in the world, we must reflect a Christ-like attitude as we joyfully demonstrate Christ living in us.
