Imagine for a moment that you are relaxing at home, when suddenly you smell smoke. You realize that the house is on fire, and you rush outside to safety. The fire department is unable to save the house. For some reason, the fire is deemed suspicious, and your insurance will not cover anything. You lose your house, your belongings, and even your car. How would you respond?
It is so easy for us to say how we should respond. The Bible tells us to rejoice, right? But is there a limit? At what point do you stop rejoicing? At what point is your faith shaken? When are you allowed to take a break from rejoicing? When are you not supposed to rejoice?
The Bible is full of verses regarding suffering. Hebrews 12:6-8 says, “’For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.’ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.”
If God is working in your life through suffering, rejoice! We can rejoice when we remember that we are God’s children, and we can rejoice when we believe that God is using the situation for our good. Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
If you are God’s child, then you can rejoice, knowing that God is working every situation for your good! Notice that God is not working everything out for your immediate pleasure, but for your good. God did not keep His only perfect Son from suffering, so why would we expect Him to treat us any differently? Remember that Romans 8:29 says, “God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son.”
Last year, the building where I live underwent some changes. The patio behind the building was taken away, replaced by mounds of dirt and holes in the ground. Access to the back gate was cut off. However, despite these challenges, I was able to rejoice. Why? Because I believed that something better was coming. The new pool and spa that I now enjoy make those months of inconvenience worthwhile.
Likewise, when we face trials in our lives, we can trust that God is working all things together for our good. He is at work, building something great. Does that mean that we should feel no pain? No. But it does mean that we always have reason to rejoice. We may not always know why our beautiful patios are gone, or why there are deep holes in our way, or why we cannot access our gates. But when we believe God, and have faith that His plan is what is best for us, we have every reason to rejoice, despite the pain!
So yes, the Bible is clear that we are to rejoice when we face trials. James 1:2-4 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
The Bible does not say to rejoice when we feel like it, when we are having a good day, or when things seem to be going the way we want them to. We are to rejoice at all times! It takes faith to rejoice, especially in the difficult times. Yet at the same time, rejoicing protects our faith! Philippians 3:1 says, “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.”
But is there a limit? Is there a point at which our suffering is so severe that we are exempt from the requirement to rejoice? Paul and Silas were singing praise to God after being beaten and thrown into prison. David worshipped God immediately after losing his son. Job praised God despite losing all of his children, as well as his servants and all of his animals. The Bible is full of stories of people who, through their suffering, persevered with joy.
So yes, we are to rejoice at all times. Yet do you know what else the command to “rejoice in the Lord always” means? It means that even when we feel that we have no right to rejoice, we are to keep on rejoicing! At one point last week, I messed up. I failed God. I felt guilty, and certainly did not believe that I had the right to any joy in that moment. Was I allowed to rejoice, despite my failure? Absolutely! The command to rejoice does not contain any exclusions. What’s more, I had another reason to rejoice! Those sins have been forgiven, and for that reason, I should rejoice even more!
Now, after all of that talk about joy, we have not even looked at what it means to rejoice. Are we to jump in the air with our hands raised, yelling “hooray!” all throughout the day? Of course not. Many new mental health facilities would likely be built for us if that were the case. According to Merriam-Webster, “rejoice” means to feel joy or great delight. The definitions for joy point back to delight, so what does the word “delight” mean? It is defined as “a high degree of gratification or pleasure,” or “extreme satisfaction.” I love that last definition! I look at joy as being “extremely satisfied.”
Are you extremely satisfied? When you hurt your knee, when you are exhausted, or when you suffer great loss, are you still extremely satisfied? Are you extremely satisfied in knowing that these things are for your good? Are you extremely satisfied, knowing that these trials mean that God is at work in your life, making you more like His Son? Are you extremely satisfied in God’s plan for your life, despite the transient pain that you feel along the way? Are you extremely satisfied, despite your own failures, knowing that God’s forgiveness surpasses even the most egregious errors that you can make along the way?
I will leave you with one last passage to meditate on. Hebrews 12:2b-4 says, “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”
Rejoice!