"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

I concede that thankfulness is a concept that has always eluded me in the sense of core Christian thought.. Complaints I can do without thinking, as gripes are straightforward to generate. It's effortless for me to point out just how much is going wrong in life, as I imagine so for many of you.

To be thankful, forced to stop and count that which I am blessed with, has always been difficult for me. Perhaps this is because I've always been my own worst critic, and I always think that I can be doing better. No matter my blessings, I see "more" as a goal worthy of pursuit. But perhaps this is because I haven't allowed the Lord to break that part of my heart yet.

And today, I want us to briefly consider, together, the gravity of the reality that thankfulness is a significant characteristic of Christian Living. It's certainly one I fear many of us falter in doing.

In the context of the letter of Philippians, Paul wrote these verses to address a particular dilemma of division, one which remains vague enough to us that we can apply it to almost any situation in which we feel discord or division within our own lives. Philippians was written to encourage humility and to point the church back towards Unity. It is here, in Philippians four, we find an antidote not only to disunity but also to discontentment, anxiety, and the everyday chaos of life that looms over us.

Pay close attention to verse four:

"Rejoice in the Lord always."

The word "rejoice" is written in the active voice. It calls upon us to actively live out a lifestyle of joy whether or not we are in joyful circumstances. To carry out this command, we must be empowered by God, who compels us to live out this fruit of the spirit; To live in joy. Joy is unquestionably not a default state for many of us, but it is arguably the most potent antidote to affliction.

And that's something I think we all overlook. That's why the bible reinforces rejoicing so many times throughout its writings. Here are just a smattering of those verses:

"This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

-Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope."

-Romans 5:3-4 (ESV)

"Rejoice always."

-1 Thessalonians 5:16 (ESV)

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

-Romans 12:15 (ESV)

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

-Romans 12:12 (ESV)

"Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"

-Psalm 32:11 (ESV)

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

-James 1:2-3 (ESV)

On it goes, teaching us of radially formidable joy, never dependant on our circumstances. A joy that places us in a mindset to stay resolute regardless of what the world around us does. A joy that leaves us keeping our eyes upon the grace and glory of God, expressing our gratitude.

Now, there are many reasons to aspire to live this way. One of them is the apparent death of discontentment, something we'd despairingly notice an overabundance of today. Spurgeon once preached a sermon entitled "Joy, a duty," and he wrote;

"There is a marvelous medicinal power in joy. Most medicines are distasteful; but this, which is the best of all medicines, is sweet to the taste, and comforting to the heart. We noticed, in our reading, that there had been a little tiff between two sisters in the church at Philippi;—I am glad that we do not know what the quarrel was about; I am usually thankful for ignorance on such subjects;—but, as a cure for disagreements, the apostle says, "Rejoice in the Lord always." People who are very happy, especially those who are very happy in the Lord, are not apt either to give offence or to take offence. Their minds are so sweetly occupied with higher things, that they are not easily distracted by the little troubles which naturally arise among such imperfect creatures as we are."

It seems to me that joy in the Lord is the cure for every discord. If I plant myself in the everyday happenings of the world, I will always feel anxious. I will always be discontent if my frame of mind is contingent on what happens around me every day. But if my satisfaction is found in the Lord only, the well will never run dry:

"Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.'"

-Luke 7:37 (NIV)

It seems the alignment of our heart to the heart of the Lord is what we need to find fullness of life. It's an obvious concept when you study Christianity for any length of time, yet shockingly easy to set aside when the going gets tough. But said alignment is essential when the world goes mad. When life screams that I should lose heart, the joy of the Lord becomes my strength.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him."

-Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

-Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

Could you take a moment with me right now? Let us close our eyes and lose ourselves to the heavenly glory which is to come, based on the promises of our wonderful Lord. Take a few minutes if you must, and then come back. Now, consider this: In the context of the heavenly glory you've just meditated upon, knowing that the battle is won and the victory belongs to the Lord, can you argue that any one thing in life is worth fretting over seriously? Is anything worth losing your joy? Is there anything deserving of conquering your mind more than our God?

Reflect on Christ's own words:

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

-Matthew 6:7 (NIV)

Well, can any of us?

Francis Chan, in his paradigm-shifting book Crazy Love, writes:

"When I am consumed by my problems-stressed out about my life, my family, and my job-I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice."

If there's disunity in the church, the cure is rejoicing in the Lord. Because when we rejoice in the Lord, we see our brothers and sisters with the eyes of Christ. If there's discontent or anxiety in our hearts and our minds, the antidote is to rejoice. It's not an easy task, as it's an ostensibly abnormal response to affliction. But there's honestly so much to be thankful for if we take a moment and ponder such matters.

There are the clothes on our backs, the warm beds we sleep in, and the food in our bellies. And the fact is, even if we didn't have a single one of those things, we would still have more than enough with forgiveness from our sins through Christ's blood.

The quality of your thoughts often determines the quality of your life. No, this isn't The Power of Positive Thinking, where you think positively, and then things are positive. No, this is a shift of spiritual reality; that even if life, when it's as grim as imaginable (or even unimaginable), this mind, which is in Christ, dwells upon the Lord alone. Such dwelling leaves me joyful and thankful.

As we spend time with family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ, this thanksgiving let us not forget what a gracious, fantastic, amazing God we serve. Indeed, he has given us much to be thankful for, hasn't he? This choice most certainly doesn't always lead to sunny optimism. Joyful disposition isn't some positive mental attitude wherein there's a permanent big fat grin on your face that makes people want to punch you. It's unexplainable confidence that God is really in control; That, in his sovereignty, he knows what is good, and he won't let any of us fall to the wayside. None of us are forgotten. Jesus himself says,

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."

- Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)

This is the confidence you find in Christ's blood. It is the ultimate reason for which we are thankful. If nothing else, if there is no other reason to have joy in our lives (which frankly would be very difficult for any of us to try to argue), if we were to rail against God and point our fingers towards the heavens, telling him that he has made a mistake with our lives, we'd still have the blood of Christ. Every argument we'd try to conjure is hushed by the blood that washes us clean.

What's been challenging me and keeping me up at night the past few weeks has been this very dilemma. As I genuinely and honestly reflect on my life, what on earth do I have to be unthankful for? What on earth do I have to be downcast for?

There will be sadness, where the icy grip of misery will shake me. There will be moments where I can't utter grateful words because a storm traps me. But I pray that the Lord will show me his goodness and compassion even in those storms. I pray for the day that maybe, just maybe, as I spend more time reflecting on his glory and bowing before his name, the more I'll find the ability to rejoice at all times.

His joy becomes my joy, leaving me changed; Thankful in the trials, and joyful in the journey.

In Gods Joy,

RJ

Today's closing prayer comes from the Didache, Chapter 10 (late 1st or early 2nd century Christian's prayed this same prayer!)

"We give you thanks, Holy Father, for your holy name, which you have caused to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality that you have made known to us through Jesus your servant; to you be the glory forever.

You, almighty Master, created all things for your name's sake, and gave food and drink to humans to enjoy, so that they might give you thanks; but to us you have graciously given spiritual food and drink, and eternal life through your servant.

Above all we give thanks to you because you are mighty; to you be the glory forever.

Remember your church, Lord, to deliver us from all evil and to make us perfect in your love; and from the four winds gather the church that has been sanctified into your kingdom, which you have prepared for it; for yours is the power and the glory forever.

May grace come, and may this world pass away.

Hosanna to the God of David.

If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not, let him repent.

Come, oh Lord!

Amen."