Understanding The Command: Rejoice Always
A Bible Study on 1 Thessalonians 5:16
The letters written by Apostle Paul to different churches follow the same pattern. The first half of the letter contains the theological truths that need to be grasped and the second half of the letter contains specific instructions for Christian conduct that need to be followed.
In 1 Thessalonians, we see that in the first three chapters, Paul gives thanks to God for the church, reminds the church of the theological truths they have learned, and shares his concerns for the church. From Chapter 4, we see that Paul gives practical instructions on Christian living. In these practical instructions, we find that in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Paul gives an interesting instruction of rejoicing always.
This is not the first time in this letter that Paul has talked about joy or rejoicing. He has already mentioned it three times. In 1 Thessalonians 1:6, he says how the church received the word with joy even amongst tribulation. In 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, he says that the church in Thessalonica is his joy. Finally, in 1 Thessalonians 3:9, Paul says that they rejoice before God because of them.
In fact, rejoice and joy are important terms in all of Paul’s letters because Paul has used them almost 50 times. Joy was such an integral part of Paul’s life that he even rejoiced in harsh circumstances (Rom 5:3; Col 1:24: Acts 16:25). In the letter to Philippians, Paul repeatedly talks about joy. We must remember that it is the letter that Paul has written from jail!
However, is it possible to rejoice always? Is it possible to feel joyful when you are being persecuted for the faith that you have? Oftentimes we hear of Christian believers being persecuted. Have you ever wondered how these believers can be joyful after such an incident? Is it possible to be joyful when you have lost your job, and your family is struggling financially? How can you rejoice when you have lost a loved one? Does it not feel that Paul is asking his readers to do something which is impossible or extremely difficult to do?
We feel that it is difficult to rejoice in all circumstances because somewhere in our mind we equate rejoicing with the denial of sadness and grief. We think always being joyful means ignoring the pain. However, that is not the case.
Adverse situations will always bring pain, suffering, sadness, and grief. The apostles have never encouraged believers to deny that. In 1 Peter 1:6, Peter says “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.” Adverse situations and trials will certainly make us distressed. However, what the apostles including Paul recognize is that in the midst of the most agonizing situations, the presence of God through his Spirit can infuse the soul with hope and the heart with joy. In fact, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and this joy is deeply rooted in the gospel (Luke 2:10-11). It is because of Jesus that we can be joyful. The sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for our sake not only provides us salvation but also gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we believe in Jesus and put our faith in him, we are saved, and the Holy Spirit comes and resides in us. Through the Holy Spirit, we continue to feel the presence of God in our lives and that helps us to be joyful. The Spirit encourages us and fills us with hope. That is the reason why joy is one of the primary distinctions of the Christian community.
So, is it possible to be joyful always? Yes! Because, unlike happiness, our joy is not dependent on situations around us but on the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. If you are facing a difficult situation and it feels like that situation has robbed you of your joy, then I urge you to pray that God the Holy Spirit will help you to see the hand of God in that situation. We must remember that even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is going to be with us. His presence will help us walk through that situation and be joyful!
May the good Lord help us rejoice always!
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