Philippians 4:4: You can rejoice through your pain

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

If you’ve ever read that verse and thought, How? How am I supposed to rejoice when my life feels like a painful, overwhelming mess? You’re not alone. I used to stumble over this all the time.

For the longest time, I thought rejoicing meant forcing a smile and pretending everything was fine. I believed I had to stuff down my worries and hide my pain, because if I admitted to struggling, it meant something was wrong with me, or worse, with my relationship with God. 

Along the way, I got the idea that Christians were supposed to have it all together, and if problems didn’t magically disappear, then clearly I was the problem. (this was reinforced many times w/in churches)

But that’s not what Paul was saying here at all.

Joy vs happiness.

Paul isn’t commanding us to feel happy every second of every day.

Happiness is tied to circumstances. But Joy? Joy is way deeper. Joy is an anchor. It comes from knowing the Lord is near, even when the storm rages on.

This is the same Paul who wrote these words while imprisoned, not on a chillax vacation or during an easy season of his life. That tells me rejoicing is not about ignoring our pain, it’s about remembering God’s presence within it.

Choosing rejoicing.

Rejoicing is an active choice, and it's definitely a hard one to make.

It’s choosing to thank God for every breath you're taking, even when anxiety wants to tighten your throat.

It’s choosing to sing praises while your face is damp and your nose is still clogged from crying.

It’s choosing to trust that God’s promises are always stronger than today’s problems.

Definitely not easy things to do, sometimes beyond hard, but when you can do them, even in small ways, it will shift your whole perspective.

Because rejoicing reorients us. It pulls our gaze off the chaos and fixes it back on the Lord, who holds us steady. It doesn’t erase the struggle, but it reminds us that the Lord is our refuge, our fortress, and our friend.

A Psalm to hold on to.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart triumphs, And with my song I shall thank Him.” Psalm 28:7

So, if you’re struggling today, I want to encourage you to rejoice. It doesn’t mean that “fake it till you make it” crap. 

It means pause, breathe, and whisper, “Lord, I know You are here.”

And that whisper of faith? 

That’s rejoicing.

© Jane Isley

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