Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:4, 6).
Paul isn’t playing around here—when he says to rejoice, it’s not a suggestion or a good idea. He says REJOICE with the force of a commandment!
Even the Greek word for rejoice isn’t a mild “yea!” It carries with is the idea of big joy! It’s the kind of rejoicing that is…
- exceedingly great!
- overflowing!
- bubbling up!
- never ending!
- continuously gushing!
Why would Paul make this kind of rejoicing a command? Because God is serious about pointing us to the only path that will guard our hearts and minds. When we are rejoicing, praying, and thanksgiving, then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
Do you realize how much of our worrying is pointless? My friend Scott pointed out the following research:
- 40% of the things we worry about will never even happen
- 30% of the things we worry about happened in the past and cannot be changed
- 12% of our worries are regarding health issues we don’t even have
- 10% of our worries are about our friends and loved ones which are based on rumors
That means … only 8% of the things we worry about have any basis in reality!
Think about that—9 out of 10 things that consume our minds with worry aren’t even worth our time!
That’s why Paul commands rejoicing as a means to freedom and peace.
- What should we worry about? Nothing!
- What should we pray about? Everything!
- What should rejoice about? All things!
This is the one and only path to transcendent peace!
This is part two in our series The Antidote For Anxiety. Be sure to check out the video below, and also check out the first part of this series—Honk! Honk! Honk!
Craig T. Owens 