Enjoy or Rejoice?
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:4-5)
Someone dear once told me that I would feel better if I smiled. I did, and she said, “No, that’s a sneer. Smile like you mean it.” I tried that and it worked like magic for a while. Try it yourself and you will see what I mean. Unfortunately, the outward sign was not enough. It was, in fact, hypocrisy.
Pretending to be happy does no good, so how are we to rejoice when we are unhappy? Does rejoicing only come from enjoying?
What if we are not enjoying life that much? As the Apostle wrote to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord.” Think about it.
Now, take a moment to thank the Lord that you can think. If you are sincere, give him a smile. He will appreciate it, I assure you. Sometimes a smile is like a prayer.
There are so many things like that, things to rejoice about. Are you breathing? Hold your breath and pause, considering your ability to exhale at will. Aren’t you glad about that? Rejoice again! Smile and thank the Lord.
And exhale.
What if the pleasures of your life are all gone with illness and age? All your worldly treasures and earthly delights have been withdrawn. The only thing left to you is a short life of scant enjoyment. Maybe breath and thought are all you have left. Sight and smell and taste have gone, and you hurt. What then? How can anyone rejoice in such misery?
Only in Jesus and the hope of his salvation can one truly rejoice. It doesn’t matter if you feel good, or if everything is going your way. Those happy feelings are brief and uncertain. The hope of salvation and a heavenly home are the basis of real joy.
If you have that hope you may smile and thank the Lord, and your smile may be contagious. Let us rejoice, for God is good!
“Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name;
Make his praise glorious! Say to the Lord, ‘How awesome are your deeds.’
So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, praise to your name.
Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!
He turned the sea into dry land. They passed through the waters on foot.
Come let us rejoice in him.” (Psalm 66:1-6)