How Can We “Rejoice Always”?

Resistance and persecution hounded the apostle Paul throughout his ministry. No group seemed more intent on disrupting his work than the Jews of Thessalonica.

They drove Paul from their city, but their opposition did not end there. When they learned where he had gone, they traveled the 50 miles to Berea, where they “stirred up the crowds,” forcing him to leave that city as well (Acts 17:1-15).

A few months later, Paul wrote to the newly formed church in Thessalonica. Surprisingly, in view of the “afflictions” they had faced from these Jews (1 Thessalonians 3:3), he urged them to “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

How can anyone “rejoice always”?

Was Paul being unrealistic in urging the Thessalonian church to “rejoice always”? Life was not easy for these newly converted Christians, as Paul’s letter to them acknowledged.

While he was still in the city, the Jews had “dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city,” accusing them of “acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar” (Acts 17:6-7). This was a serious charge, and one that could well have prompted more fear than joy.

So how could the apostle expect these hard-pressed men and women to “rejoice always”? How can any of us be expected to rejoice when our lives take unpleasant turns?

The answer might surprise you. That’s because joy itself is often misunderstood, so before we attempt to understand Paul’s exhortation, let’s take a look at what joy is.

What is joy?

Most people think joy and happiness are the same. The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary equates the two terms, listing “happiness” first among the synonyms for “joy” and vice versa.

In the New Testament, however, joy is not mere happiness. Happiness is based on the circumstances of life. Biblical joy is not. It is much deeper, much more profound.

God is the source of true joy, which He provides through His Holy Spirit. Joy is the second of the nine fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), imparted to Christians as they faithfully serve God.

In another of his letters Paul explains when it is that God fills us with joy—He does so as we come to believe Him and trust Him. Paul explained this to the church at Rome: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

How do belief and trust in God lead to joy?

When we believe in God, we see life differently. We come to understand that, in comparison to Him, we are nothing—but so are any potential adversaries!

David understood this when he wrote: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).

Though we may feel small, we appreciate how powerful God is. Nothing is too difficult for God, whose “hand is not shortened, that it cannot save” (Isaiah 59:1). He is bigger than our troubles.

So, belief is the first step. The next step is trust, which is just as important.

It’s one thing to know that God is powerful, but an altogether different thing to believe that God loves us and wants what is best for us. When we truly appreciate His character and His capacity for love, we begin to trust Him.

We gain that understanding through the pages of Scripture, through the stories of fellow Christians and through our own life experiences.

Paul had come to believe in God and to trust Him. He experienced “joy and peace in believing” long before he wrote those words to the church at Rome (Romans 15:13).

What is the context of Paul’s exhortation to “rejoice always”?

The expression rejoice always begins a sentence that continues with the need for being consistent in prayer and a heart full of gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18; see “Pray Without Ceasing”). It follows on the heels of a discussion of the need to work together for peace (verse 13), to encourage other Christians, to be patient with others (verse 14) and to seek what is best for everyone rather than seeking vengeance (verse 15).

In this context, it is clear that joy is not the result of a problem-free life. It is not the product of our physical circumstances. Instead, joy is associated with prayer and gratitude. It is the result of a committed relationship with God and with fellow Christians.

A similar expression occurs in Philippians 4:4, one of Paul’s prison epistles. He wrote this letter even as he was facing a trial before a Roman court that could have resulted in a death sentence.

Paul was not focused on his own power or on his own personal plans. His focus was always on serving God by fulfilling his role as “a chosen vessel” to preach the gospel to the gentile world (Acts 9:15). Paul’s words in this letter, “rejoice in the Lord always,” take on a deeper significance when understood from this perspective.

Did Paul “rejoice always”?

Prior to proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas preached and taught in Philippi. While there, they were “beaten with rods” before being put into prison (Acts 16:22-23).

These two men were undoubtedly in great physical pain from their “many stripes.” Even so, they apparently spent much of that night praying and singing praises to God (verse 25). They were rejoicing, but why?

Paul and Silas believed in God and trusted Him. They had set aside their old perspectives on life, including many of their former goals, in order to do the work God had given them to do.

This sharp sense of purpose, together with total commitment to God, continually drove Paul to rejoice, regardless of what he might suffer personally. He did not deny that he had suffered, but wrote that he could be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).

These words follow a long list of Paul’s difficulties, yet he worked hard to be faithful to God as a minister “in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults” (verses 4-5).

Why should we rejoice always?

Paul lived an exceptional life, and he had been given a commission directly by God. But what about you and me? Why should we, and how can we, rejoice always?

All of us, if we are not careful, take our blessings for granted. Rather than looking at what God has given us, we look at what we do not have. A major reason for Christians to rejoice is abundantly clear in that same letter Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica. Each of the first four chapters ends with a reference to the second coming of Christ, and the fifth and final chapter is almost entirely about His return.

Christians through the ages have eagerly anticipated that day when Christ will return. It is a day of great significance for us, making every material goal seem small by comparison.

It is in this last chapter of the book that Paul makes the connection explicit. He expresses his hope that each Christian’s “whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He then offers these comforting words: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (verse 24).

It is this hope, founded on trust, that provides a large part of our reason to rejoice, and it is our joy that links us to all God’s precious saints whose stories we read throughout the pages of the Bible.

How can we rejoice always?

As you’ve been reading this article, you might have been wondering how you can rejoice always, especially if you’ve been experiencing difficult times. Perhaps you’ve lost a job, or you hate the job you have. Perhaps you never seem to have enough money to pay your bills. You might be suffering from health trials, or you may have lost a loved one.

How can any of us rejoice through times like these?

Paul’s exhortation begins a sentence that also mentions two keys—prayer and gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

To rejoice continually requires us to be in the right frame of mind, which is impossible for anyone who does not have a relationship with God. Prayer is the first key component in establishing and maintaining this most important relationship.

In prayer we humble ourselves before God, acknowledging His sovereignty over all creation, including our lives. We desire a meaningful relationship with Him. And we seek His will rather than our own, trusting that He will not allow anything to happen to us that is not for our benefit.

Paul stated this comforting truth in the book of Romans: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Why is gratitude important?

The second key component is gratitude. Not only should we rejoice continually, but we should continually thank God, who blesses us abundantly. This may require a shift in our thinking.

All of us, if we are not careful, take our blessings for granted. Rather than looking at what God has given us, we look at what we do not have. Or we look at life’s challenges and difficulties, fears and pains. This loss of perspective is a trap that can lead to bitterness.

Instead, we should stop to consider all that God has given us. Those of us who live in the developed world have a level of material wealth and comfort that would astound even the rich and powerful in ages past.

More importantly, those of us who have entered into a relationship with God have precious gifts we do not deserve. We can call the Almighty God “Father,” knowing that He loves us. And we can look forward to the return of Christ, to His perfect Kingdom, and to the time when “the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:8).

It’s not always easy to rejoice, but as we mature through life’s challenges and our perspective on life’s priorities change, it becomes just a little easier. Look to God, and rejoice always.

Continue your study in the article “4 Ways to Find Joy in Trials.”