Rejoice in the Lord always!
Friday, August 31, 2012 by Unknown
Today I was reading in Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again :Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
A few things stuck out to me as I was reading this...
- 1st we need to rejoice always in the Lord, even when trouble or hardship hit. I know how difficult it is to be happy when you are in pain, but this isn't about being happy, but choosing to rejoice knowing God is always good!
- 2nd I tend to get grumpy when I am in pain and these verses tell me to be gentle and let that be seen by others. This is also a choice. Joy and gentleness are very hard when in pain, but what better way to show someone else God's amazing love. I have heard a few times this last week, "Thank you Myndi for your sweet nature, especially going through so much pain. You are a testament to the Lord." This is not something I can do on my own, but something Christ is doing in me. Allow Him to work in you for others to see.
- 3rd if you are going through a very painful trial right now and you do not see an outcome in sight (like I am going through), it is very easy to become anxious and feel overwhelmed. It's easy to say, "Don't be anxious," but very hard to do. Rely on the Lord. Ask Him to calm you down. When you are anxious bring those feelings to the Lord. Paul tells us here that when we pray we need to be thankful when we pray to God. My husband and I have been complaining about our situation recently and we stopped and thought of what we say to our daughter about complaining..."Go write down 10 things you are thankful for today before I hear another complaint." Works for us grownups too!!
- 4th God promises to give us peace that is beyond any human understanding! He will guard our hearts and minds when we pray with thanksgiving, rejoice in Him, be gentle, and be calm. I pray you are able to reflect on these verses today in the midst of your pain.
