Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7)
Divisive politics. Systemic racism. Inequitable economic opportunity. War and global instability. Hunger and homelessness. All this we hear on the nightly news. This on top of what might be going on in our own little worlds at home: health issues, relationship and job challenges. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless in light of the turmoil in our world. We are tempted to put our Scrooge on and just say ‘bah’ to it all.
But, that’s not the way of a Christian. Paul tells the Phillipians, and so us, to rejoice always and have no anxiety at all. Paul told this to the Thessalonians, too, saying to give thanks in all circumstances. Sure, no sweat! But, how are we to be joyful in the midst of the strife and turmoil that twirl around us?
I think it comes down to trust. Paul goes on to instruct us to make our requests known to God in prayer and thanksgiving. We can trust God that He will guard our hearts and minds and give us His peace. Joy comes of trust. We can trust God to provide and follow John the Baptist’s advice to give generously, act justly, and be satisfied with what we have (Luke 3:10-14).
So yes, be joyful! Gaudete! Let us rejoice and give thanks to God for all the blessings and opportunities He gives us. Let us show kindness to all. Ian MacLaren is credited with saying, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Trust God, give courageously, and have His peace and joy this Advent and always. Trust that He wants the best for you. Let us pray without ceasing, lifting our hearts and thoughts to God, and asking for the wisdom to know His will and the courage to do it. This is who we are as Disciples of Jesus.
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