Rejoice!

By Terry Wardle

“Rejoice in the Lord . . .  always.” Paul wrote those words in his letter to the Philippians, chapter four, verse four. And then he said it again, “Rejoice in the Lord.” What was Paul getting at and why was it doubly important to him? Anyone who reads Paul knows that he was Christ crazy. On numerous occasions in his letters he made it clear that he was a Jesus man, claiming to know nothing, nor want anything but Jesus. He even went so far as to say that for him, “to live was Christ and to die was gain (Phil. 2:21). It was, for Paul, only and always about Jesus.

It is important to note that when Paul called believers to rejoice in the Lord, he was not in this case calling people to rejoice in what Jesus did, which is certainly reason for deep gratitude, heartfelt thanks, and endless praise. No, in his Philippian admonition, Paul was calling believers to rejoice in the person of Christ himself. To be caught up in the wonder and beauty of Jesus, allowing the deep feelings of love and adoration to bubble forth in joy.