Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7).
Growing up, my mom was the piano and organist for my little church in Northwest Iowa. This meant that my brother and I were brought to church every Sunday and had to sit in the front row nearest to our mom and try our best to behave. The two highlights of the morning were the free cookies after church and the songs we got to sing during Sunday School. One of the best songs was about joy. It went something like this (sing along if you know it):
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
Where?
Down in my heart.
Where?
Down in my heart to stay.
Did you sing along? It was a fun song to sing, but looking back, it was also a great reminder that God’s joy is something that lives in us and is always present, even when life is hard.
In our reading for today, Paul writes about this joy. He reminds the church of Philippi—the first church Paul established—and us, that even when things are bad, God’s joy lives. Paul is in prison as he is writing this letter, waiting as his death is starting to become a reality. Yet, despite this, he desires to live out a life of joy. The church of Philippi is waiting for one of their own, Epaphroditus, to return from meeting with Paul. And we wait for all sorts of things—test results, kids arriving home safely, an upcoming trip.
We all have moments of feeling anxious or worried. We all stay up at night occasionally (or regularly) with our heads on our pillows thinking and praying, unable to sleep. Yet what Paul is urging here is to seek God amidst this waiting. To remember joy is not something that relies on situations—joy comes from God.
Even when times seem dire, you are not alone. You have not been abandoned, but as Paul writes, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). You may suffer just like Jesus or Paul did, but God is still present despite this suffering. Look toward the cross and find this joy that surpasses all understanding … down in your heart.
Reflection:
- What does it mean for you to “always be full of joy in the Lord,” even in difficult times?
- Are you currently carrying any anxieties that you need to bring to God in prayer and thanksgiving? How can you start to let them go?
- What is one specific habit you can build into your daily routine to help you replace anxiety with prayer and gratitude?