Philippians 4:4 (NKJV): Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
The word 'rejoice' here is 'chairo' (pronounced 'khah-ee-ro') in Greek, and it means 'be joyful, be glad, be happy'. Notice this word 'rejoice' is mentioned not just once, but twice in this verse itself! And the apostle Paul who wrote this verse certainly understood the power of rejoicing in the Lord!
Do you also see the word 'always' here? It is 'aei' (pronounced 'ah-eye') in Greek, and it can mean 'always, a continued duration, a regular practice'. In other words, rejoicing in the Lord should be a regular practice in our lives!
In fact, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be the shiniest, happiest people on earth! Why? Because Jesus has carried all our sins, cross, shame, curse, and even sorrows when He died for us on the cross! (Isaiah 53:4-5)
Nehemiah 8:10 says, '...Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength'. If you study that part of the Bible thoroughly, you'd know that Nehemiah wasn't just giving a mere suggestion to the people of God, but he was saying it as a command from the Lord!
So, why is it so important to 'rejoice in the Lord as a regular practice'? Because if you lose this joy, you would also lose the strength to carry on!
Some people say, 'Practice makes perfect'. Indeed, the more you practice on something, the more you'll be good at it! For example, if you practice your tennis strokes regularly every day (with the right coaching), you'll definitely be good at it! In fact, you'll even have no problem sparring with some of the household names in tennis! Now, that's the power of practice!
By the way, 'to practice' simply means 'to do something again and again'. And that's exactly what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote Philippians 4:4! I can therefore translate this verse to sound like this: 'Rejoice (be joyful, be glad, be happy) in the Lord as a regular practice. Again I will say, rejoice (be joyful, be glad, be happy)!'
So, people of God, what do you practice every day?
If you practice joy, you'll surely be reaping the reward of joy!
If you practice worry, everything in life will worry you!
If you practice anxiety, everything you do will be filled with anxiety!
If you practice anger, everything you see in life will anger you!
And the list goes on (and on)...
In short, you'll be good at whatever you practice every day!
Choose therefore to practice the joy of the Lord moment by moment, day by day!
You might ask, "How do I begin?"
It's easy. You don't have to struggle for it. In fact, it's effortless.
1. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, know that He is the Giver of joy, the Source of joy, and He lives in you! You see? This joy lives in you! And no one (not even the devil!) can take it away from you, unless you allow it!
2. Receive this joy that comes from heaven, like a waterfall! Let this joy fill your heart and mind now. The Spirit of the Lord is also the Spirit of joy!
3. Take joy in what (and who) you are now.
4. Take joy in whatever you are doing now.
Notice the word 'now'. Some people might say,
"If only I become like so and so, then I'll be happy!", or
"If only I have that much money in the bank, then I'll be happy!", or
"If I move to that new country, then I'll be happy!"
Really? Is that really so? Why not choose to be happy even now, and watch how the Lord can do wonders for your future?
What is the reward of practicing joy in life?
1. You'll have a cheerful countenance! People are generally drawn to a shiny, happy countenance!
Proverbs 15:13 says, 'A merry (i.e. joyful, glad, happy) heart makes a cheerful countenance. But by sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken'.
2. You'll have good health! Happy people are healthy people!
Proverbs 17:22 says, 'A merry (i.e. joyful, glad, happy) heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones'.
3. You'll have the goodness of God surrounding you! Wherever you are, the goodness of God seems to be attracted to you and follows after you!
Proverbs 15:15 says, 'All the days of the afflicted (i.e. depressed, disputing people) are evil, but he who is of a merry (i.e. joyful, glad, happy) heart has a continual feast'.
