It's Possible!

Rejoice Always... (1 Thess. 5:16, NKV)

Rejoice always: be joyful and be this always. How is this possible? This question, among many others was one I would ask myself quite frequently when I first became Christian. I was in the ninth year of a life sentence, and, truthfully, being joyful in prison was something I thought to be beyond my realm of comprehension. I knew what it felt like to experience moments of joy but for those moments to be continuous seemed like an impossibility. I mean, how was I supposed to be joyful always when I was waking up every day to the same four walls, having to endure the hostile, oppressive, and demeaning daily grind that is prison. How? How? How? How could this be possible?

Is there anyone reading this right now asking themselves the same question? Anyone wondering how it could be possible to be joyful at all times in the of whatever it is you find yourself going through? Problems in your marriage, problems with your kids, problems at work, health issues, addictions, temptations, trials, weakened faith, and anything else you might be enduring. Is there anyone wondering how it could be possible to rejoice while having to deal with all the issues life is throwing at you? Well let me tell you how.

Jesus, that's how. And I know that to some people this answer might sound a bit cliche-ish, perhaps too "religiously correct," and me maybe even a bit too simple. Perhaps some people are looking for a deep theological answer or some new miraculous joy finding technique, but I assure you none of these things will ever produce the joy Paul is exhorting us to. Only Christ will. See, what many of us never consider is that true joy can only be found solely in Christ and is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

We, as Christians, need to realize that our joy is not contingent upon or dictated by where we are, who we're with, what's going on around us, what we have, or what we don't have. No, our joy is contingent upon and dictated by our Lord and Savior and our standing with him. I, a man in prison, am filled with joy because I am a child of the Most High God, a disciple of Christ, and a recipient of the Holy Spirit who fills me, comforts me, leads me into all truth, and produces fruit in my life, one aspect of which happens to be joy.

I am filled with joy because I know no matter how rough things get, they could always get worse. I could be unsaved, still living to fulfill the lusts of my flesh, lest to fend for myself, with no hope for the future except that of damnation. I am joyful because my God says I can be, because he tells me to be and I know that he has never told me to do anything that isn't possible. And in those moments where I find it hard to be joyful, I beseech my Lord in faith, without doubting, and he restores my joy in his presence. That's our God; it's who he has always been, and who he will always be.

Today let us claim our joy and possess it at all times. Let's stop allowing people, situations, and circumstances to take something from us that our Lord has given to us. Don't let what you might be going through convince you that you can't find joy in the midst of it, because that's a lie. Joy is ours, promised to us by God and nothing and nobody can ever take it from us, although we can surely give it away. Don't give it away anymore. Today we rejoice because our God loves us, he saved us from ourselves and the damnation we were heading for. We rejoice because he is always with us and always acting on our behalf. Today we rejoice because our God is for us which means nothing can be against us. We rejoice today and we resolve to do it always which is something that's very possible. With our God, everything is.

Prayer to today: Ever loving and ever present God, teach us to rejoice in you always, in the midst of the challenges of our lives. Fill us with your joy and focus us on your unconditional love that keeps us always safe in you. Amen.