Don’t be robbed of your Joy

Philippians 4:4-9 (NASB)
'Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!'

There are so many things in life that distract us from the things of God. These distractions give room for anxiety, frustration, discouragement, and sometimes the development of sin in our lives. When we face these things, it can be incredibly difficult to rejoice in the Lord or maybe not understand how to rejoice in the Lord.

Understanding the difference between joy and happiness in light of God’s promises are key to our having “the peace of God guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. Sure, there are days when life seems to be incredibly overwhelming and we are not ‘feeling’ very happy. Happiness is an emotion driven often times by our immediate circumstances in our life. Our joy is not the product of our feelings, but is the outpouring of who we are in Christ Jesus, His redemptive work on the cross, and the Spirit's work in our lives. The problem is when we let life rob us of that joy. Joy is one of the qualities (fruits) that the spirit of God is in control of our life (Galatians 5:22). For us to have the worries of life rob us of that joy is the same as letting it rob us of one portion of the spirit’s control in our life.

As a result of casting all of our worries, petitions, and anxiety on the Lord, we will have the Peace of God guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. As a result of our taking our thoughts captive and dwelling on the things that are excellent and praiseworthy, we are promised that the God of Peace will be with us. As our lives begin to reflect the character of Christ, we can’t help but to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

Philippians 4:4-9 (NASB)