Rejoice always
“Rejoice evermore.”1 Thessalonians 5:16
Reflection
This is one of the shortest verses in the Bible — only two words in the original — but also one of the most challenging: "rejoice EVERMORE". The word that leaps out is "evermore". Not "rejoice when things go well", not "rejoice when you feel like it", not "rejoice on the good days" — EVERMORE. At all times, in every circumstance, including the hard days. At first glance, this seems impossible, even insensitive. How can someone rejoice ALWAYS, including in the midst of pain?
The answer lies in understanding the difference between HAPPINESS and JOY. Happiness depends on what HAPPENS — it comes when circumstances are favorable and goes away when they turn sour. No one can be happy all the time, because circumstances change. But the joy Paul speaks of is different: it is a joy that does not depend on circumstances, but on God. It is the "joy of the Lord", which springs from the relationship with Him, from His promises, from the certainty of salvation. That joy can coexist with sadness, because the two come from different sources: sadness comes from the situation, joy comes from God.
It is important to note that "rejoice evermore" does not mean repressing pain or faking happiness. Paul is not commanding anyone to smile falsely in the midst of suffering. The Bible has room for grief, for tears, for lament. To rejoice evermore means that, even in the midst of legitimate sadness, there is a deeper joy that remains — the joy of knowing God is in control, that He loves us, that our story will end well in His hands. It is like a sea: on the surface there may be waves of sadness, but in the depths there is a stable joy the waves do not reach.
Notice that this verse is part of a trio: "rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks" (v. 16-18). Joy, prayer and gratitude go together and feed one another. The more we pray and give thanks, the more joy springs up; and the more joyful we are in God, the more we pray and give thanks. If joy is lacking in your life, perhaps the way is not to try to "force yourself" to be joyful, but to cultivate the source: to seek God’s presence more, pray more, give thanks more. And to remember that joy does not depend on everything being solved — it is possible ALWAYS, because its source, which is God, is always available and never changes. Choose today to drink from that source, and discover a joy circumstances cannot take.
Prayer
Lord, "rejoice evermore" seems impossible when I look at my circumstances. But You teach me that true joy does not come from what happens, but from You. Help me drink from that source that never changes — Your presence, Your promises, the certainty of Your love. May, even in the midst of the waves of sadness, I have in the depths Your stable joy. Teach me to rejoice always in You. Amen.
Put it into practice
When joy is lacking today, instead of "forcing yourself" to be happy, cultivate the source: practice the trio of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 — rejoice, pray and give thanks. Start by listing reasons for gratitude and turning to God’s presence, letting the joy spring from Him, not from the circumstances.
To reflect on
Have you confused happiness (which depends on circumstances) with the joy of the Lord (which does not) — and where do you need to drink from that source that is always available?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).