Day 4: Joy in the Midst of Hardship
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV
Philippians is Paul's instruction to rejoice always, followed by the promise that God's peace will guard the hearts and minds of those who bring everything to him in prayer.
Paul wrote the instruction to rejoice always from a prison cell, not a vacation resort. He understood persecution, imprisonment, physical suffering, and abandonment. Yet his joy was not attached to his circumstances -- it was anchored to the one living inside of him. This is the testimony that the world cannot explain. When a believer weeps and yet still has joy, when a believer suffers and yet still worships, when a believer faces uncertainty and yet still trusts -- that is the fruit of the Spirit on full display. Your circumstances do not get the final word. Your confidence in God does. Joy does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means God's presence is greater than your pain.
The next time anxiety rises in your mind today, pause and speak this aloud: "My circumstances do not get the final word. My confidence in God does." Then bring that specific concern to God in prayer before returning to your day.
Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV
Philippians is Paul's instruction to rejoice always, followed by the promise that God's peace will guard the hearts and minds of those who bring everything to him in prayer.
Paul wrote the instruction to rejoice always from a prison cell, not a vacation resort. He understood persecution, imprisonment, physical suffering, and abandonment. Yet his joy was not attached to his circumstances -- it was anchored to the one living inside of him. This is the testimony that the world cannot explain. When a believer weeps and yet still has joy, when a believer suffers and yet still worships, when a believer faces uncertainty and yet still trusts -- that is the fruit of the Spirit on full display. Your circumstances do not get the final word. Your confidence in God does. Joy does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means God's presence is greater than your pain.
The next time anxiety rises in your mind today, pause and speak this aloud: "My circumstances do not get the final word. My confidence in God does." Then bring that specific concern to God in prayer before returning to your day.
Posted in Under the Influence - LOVE JOY PEACE