ALWAYS REJOICE?

Always Rejoice? Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice. Philippians 4:4 Each Wednesday night when we meet together, we have a time when we offer prayer requests. We may suffer from a terminal illness or perhaps a loved one has been deployed. We may wonder how we will pay the mortgage or grieve for a family member who has wandered far from the Lord. There’s nothing easy about rejoicing when our lives are churning with turmoil or capsized by tragedy. Elisabeth Elliot, widow of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, once said, “The Christian life is simple, but it’s never easy.” Paul’s instructions in Philippians 4:4 call us to live out this truth. When we stop and think about all the hardships we are dealing with we may ask ourselves, “Did God really mean ALWAYS.” The simple but difficult answer to that question is yes, that’s exactly what He meant. How is it possible to obey this command? Look carefully at the verse: we rejoice IN the Lord. For example, in Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus prepared His followers for the persecution they were going to encounter as His ambassadors. First He gave them a command that He knew would lead them into many hardships: “Go and make disciples.” Then He promised, “I am with you always.” Like the disciples, we are called to navigate dark and difficult waters. But we also can rejoice in the presence of the Lord. He stands beside us, ready to keep us on course. In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need you will abound in every good work.” When we allow God’s grace to flow into our lives, He infuses us with the power to praise Him. We can always rejoice in the Lord’s presence and His provision because He has promised that He will always supply what we need (Philippians 4:19). But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:5-6 Therefore, rejoice IN the Lord ALWAYS! Aaron Hodges

“What does the Bible say about jealousy?" “For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?” 1 Corinthians 3:3b We can learn a lot from children. All I have to do in my house is look at my children and see in them the very things that are wrong in me. They are sometimes mirrors of my own faults. It is so easy to see it in them, but not so in myself. One of the things I watch them deal with is jealousy. “My friend has a nicer baby doll.” “My friend has a better phone.” “My friend has a car.” Instead of being happy for their friend, they tend to be envious of what their friend has. What does the Bible have to say about jealousy and envy? When we use the word “jealous,” we use it in a sense of being envious of someone who has something we do not have. This kind of jealousy is a sin and is not characteristic of a Christian; rather, it shows that we are still being controlled by our own desires (1 Corinthians 3:3). Galatians 5:26 says, “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” The Bible tells us that we are to have the perfect kind of love that God has for us. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The more we focus on ourselves and our own desires, the less we are able to focus on God. When we harden our hearts to the truth, we cannot turn to Jesus and allow Him to heal us (Matthew 13:15). But when we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, He will produce in us the fruit of our salvation, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Being jealous indicates that we are not satisfied with what God has given us. The Bible tells us to be content with what we have, for God will never fail or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). In order to combat jealousy, we need to become more like Jesus and less like ourselves. We can get to know Him through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with mature believers. As we learn how to serve others instead of ourselves, our hearts will begin to change. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). Aaron Hodges