Rejoice and Relax

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

It’s easy to think that peace would be a constant companion for those who are followers of Jesus, but unfortunately that’s not necessarily the case. There are pressures, problems, and people we deal with every day that can threaten to rob us of our peace. But we must not forget that peace can be found when we are confident that God can relieve our pressures, solve our problems, and handle the people in our lives.

Paul, the author of Galatians where the fruit of the Spirit are listed, dealt with his own exhaustive list of pressures, problems and people, yet he seemed to be at perfect peace. How did he do it? He learned to be at peace by rejoicing and relaxing.

Like we talked about last week in regard to joy, our circumstances should not determine our ability to bear the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit comes directly from the Lord, who is so much bigger than anything we deal with on this earth.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Sure, it’s difficult to rejoice when life gets hard, but this verse serves as a reminder that we should rejoice always, not just when rejoicing comes easy. You aren’t going to find a lot of joy in big pressures, tough problems, and difficult people, but you can always find joy in the Lord.

In addition to rejoicing, Paul also learned how to relax and trust in God’s power more than His own. Many of us struggle with feeling at peace because not only are we trying to face the stresses and difficulties of everyday life, but we’re trying to face them on our own. But as Christ-followers, we must remember that we are never alone. We can wake up every morning, confident that God is with us, and that He is within us. Psalm 73:28 reminds us of this truth, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.” Let us not forget that peace is not the absence of difficulties; peace is the presence of God even in the midst of difficulties.

Dear Lord, thank you that no matter what is going on around me, I can always find peace in you. Help me to rejoice in you and your goodness, even when my circumstances don’t illicit joy. And help me to relax and trust in you and your power more than I trust in my own strength. Amen.