Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
Are there verses in Scripture that you don’t like, perhaps
that make you cringe? In my mind, a pastor reads this verse, and John Belushi
leaps onto a pew and shouts “Food Fight!”[1] The
whole church goes berserk. Of course, that’s not what really happens. And I
readily admit that other people have every reason to complain from the other
direction. The pastor quotes this passage and one corner of my mouth twitches
upward for 0.0362 seconds. When questioned why I’m not rejoicing, I proclaim
that I did…I was…I am…and they interrupted. That’s not what really tends to
happen either, but it could – and in a more polite sense, it does.
Have you ever heard a pastor or a worship leader say
something and when the audience didn’t respond, they repeated themselves or
criticized the congregation for not being awake, responsive, etc.? Have you
ever heard a member of the worship team complain about how hard it is to sing
when the congregation sits there, stony-faced? I have. And I’ve been part of choirs
and done special music, and looked out at faces that weren’t grinning. I
understand how they feel, but I also understand how it feels to have someone tell
you you’re not rejoicing according to their standards and if you don’t get with
it, you’re disobeying God.
I have a friend who is “thinking magnificently” about God
in little morning devotionals and I agree with her. I feel guilty that I’m not
waxing eloquent about what a wonderful God we have in this blog.
So here’s my challenge to myself and to you. Take a few
moments today to rejoice in the Lord. Sing along with a hymn or worship song
you love. Watch the sunset, or your grandkids or whatever makes you glad that
God is in your life today. Enjoy Him in it however you choose to enjoy Him.
[1] In
case you forgot or never saw the movie – it’s a reference to Animal House,
which celebrates all of the worst stereotypes of college frat life.
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