Rejoice Always
Put your fingers to your temple and offer this prayer. “Lord, thank you for the amygdalae.” Amygdalae are two almond-shape clusters of nuclei located deep in the brain. Its primary role is to process of memory, decision making and emotional responses including fear, anxiety and aggression. Based on the information it has, the amygdalae initiate our physical responses when we perceive danger. Normally, we don’t have to think through to analyze the situation. When there is imminent danger, we simply react. When a car is approaching with fast speed, we simply react. God created the amygdalae for us so that we are still here. It will alarm our body, pump blood faster in order to provide more oxygen, and we become faster, stronger and alarmed to react. We must be thankful for the amygdalae.
However, what if our amygdalae become too sensitive? Can you imagine if your home alarm goes off for strong winds, for squirrels or any other small movements? You will feel so tired. When the amygdalae become too sensitive, then we easily become anxious or concerned. It will make us worry about every small thing. When there is a small cloud, we worry about hurricane or blizzard. When we hear the news about a drop of the stock market, we worry about recession. We feel like our kids are doing all the crazy things even before they go outside of our homes. The list can go on and on.
Then, we hear this statement from Paul, saying, “Rejoice in the LORD always. Again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4) Not just rejoicing on your birthdays, paydays, anniversaries, day offs or Sabbaths. Paul literally said, rejoice, ALWAYS! How? How can we be rejoicing? There might be some parents, who are struggling with their kids, and ask how can we be rejoicing always? There might be couples who are going through very difficult times, and even maybe going through divorce, maybe asking this question, how can I be rejoicing always? There might be some, who are in the hospital beds, may read this verse “rejoice always” with a lot of questions. Maybe you are going through this interpersonal relationship conflict, might think, “HOW?” Maybe you ended up in AA group, unemployment line, police station, court, discouraged and depressed, and you want to know “HOW” can I be rejoicing in a time like this?
Interesting Church
The book of Philippians is a letter to the church in the city of Philippi. Paul had a very interesting experience in that city when he planted a church in that city. First of all, Paul did not plan or did not want to go to that city in the first place. He was heading to cities in Asia Minor, and all of a sudden he saw this vision, the people in Macedonia calling him to come to Europe. Philippi was the first city Paul arrived in Macedonia. He must have been excited about it because he came to Philippi because of that vision! God called him to go and now he is in the city where God called him to be. How exciting! The first thing Paul found out was that there was no synagogue. No ministry base. He usually went to synagogues and talked to fellow Jews, but in Philippi, there was nothing and nowhere to work. So he went out to the riverside to pray on the Sabbath day. There Paul met a woman named Lydia. Lydia became the first church member in the city of Philippi. Paul must have been excited about it, but the trouble was waiting for him. Paul and Silas on their way to pray, encountered a certain slave girl, possessed with a spirit of divination, who has been abused by her masters who profit by her fortune telling. She shouted for many days like, “these men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” Paul was annoyed about it and he commanded the spirit to come out. When her masters realized that there is no more profit from her fortune telling, they became angry, and they “dragged” them to the marketplace to the authorities. Without any trial, they were beaten and thrown into jail on the same day. It happened in the city where God called them to be! They were church planting and they cast out demons, then after all these good works, they were thrown into jail.
What’s your jail in your life? You are not literally in jail, but you may have Paul’s jail experience. You are doing your best at your workplace, but you got layoff. You are trying your best to take care of your children but it seems like they never understand. You try to find a way for the future, and study hard by getting student loans but it just seems impossible to get out of debt. You are serving church doing so many different kinds of ministries and you just face problems. Are you going through that jail experience right now?
What would you say if you are in Paul’s situation? Didn’t we come here because You asked us to come? Then what? Acts 16:25-26, says “but at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. and the prisoners were listening to them.” You were accused for something that you didn’t do. They were thrown into jail but they were praying and singing in the midst of the troubles. Then what happened? The prisoners listened to their prayers and hymns. When God shook the jail and all the doors were opened, the jailer thought he lost all the prisoners, there he met Paul and Silas. We know the end of the story. The jailer’s family became members of the first church in Philippi. I assume that slave woman, many of the prisoners, the jailer and Lydia must be the starting members of the Philippi Church. When Paul wrote the letter to these members, “Rejoice Always,” they know what Paul is talking about because that’s the living example they witnessed.
Some how in some way, God can use the troubles in your lives to turn it so that the world can see HIM. I am not saying that God enjoys bringing pain and suffering in our lives. Pains and sufferings are always there, but God can give us the way we can rejoice in the time of trouble.
How Can We Be Rejoicing?
There are many examples in the Bible that people are going through the worst moments you can imagine. Joseph, for example, he was born in the family that he was loved by his father so much that he was hated by his brothers. His brothers hated him so much to the point where they were willing to kill him. Can you imagine that your own brothers want to kill you? Somehow in those moments when Joseph was in trouble, we don’t see God intervene. Even when Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers, we don’t see God in that story. We don’t see the conclusion like Jacob went out to find Joseph, and finally found him and paid the amount to free his own son. Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold as a slave. Joseph did his best to serve his master, but when he was in the position when he was trusted, he was accused of attempted rape of his master’s wife. He was thrown into jail for the crime that he didn’t commit. Don’t we all have this in our lives? None of them are your fault but it just seems that everyone and everything is coming against us!
The situation even got worse. Joseph was in that jail. No way out, no one can help him out. He had two people come in to the jail, Pharaoh’s baker and butler. Joseph helped them by interpreting their dreams. According to the interpretation, the butler must be restored back in his position, and Joseph asked him to remember him. Joseph begged him to help. Joseph’s heart must have been filled with hope. The king’s own butler knows him, and maybe the butler can help Joseph. But the butler forgot Joseph for two years. Two years! The Bible says, it was a full 2 years, 24 months, 730 nights he had to bear it through. I wouldn’t blame Joseph for losing hope in that dungeon. Two years later, Joseph had a chance to interpret the dream of Pharaoh, and he became a ruler of Egypt.
Later Joseph reflects his life and shared this to his brothers. His brothers were afraid that Joseph would harm them after their father died. It is a legitimate concern because what they had done to their younger brother. But Joseph has his perspective.
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)
All the dramas that happened in Joseph’s life, that he had so many chances to blame himself or blame God for everything. But at the end of life, Joseph said these two words, “But God” that change the perspective of the way this world works.
But God…
Your bank account may be so tight, BUT GOD will take care of you.
You feel so depressed for searching for the directions and meaning of life, BUT GOD is faithful and He will direct you.
Your family always has endless dramas and you are frustrated, BUT GOD knows your frustration because His earthly family also had that family dynamics.
I am so sorry if you are inappropriately touched, I am so sorry if you are treated so badly, discriminated, marginalized and I am so sorry if you feel like everything is against you, BUT GOD knows your hurt because He also went through it when His only Son was on the cross.
The cross was the worst place to think about hope. Cross was the symbol of pain, shame and suffering. Jesus had to cry out “Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani?”, which means My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? In that darkest hour, it seems that there is no hope for anything. BUT GOD raised up Christ to bring the hope for everyone.
Maybe you are going through the darkest hour and valley right now. BUT GOD can use that darkest moment of your life to bring hope.
It is well with my soul
Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer in Chicago, but the Great Chicago fire of 1871 ruined him financially. He lost everything. The situation got worse when American economy was down in 1873. In the midst of this difficult situation, him and his wife maybe wanted to refresh and hope for a new beginning, so they planed to go to Europe. Horatio Spafford’s wife and his four daughters left first and he was taking care of business and planned to join with his family later. While his family was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel. Unfortunately, all four daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the telegram, “Saved alone…” As Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Paise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night oh, my soul
It is well, with my soul
It is well, with my soul.
