Rejoice in the Lord Always
Prayer for Understanding
God of hope and light, as we open Your Word in this season of waiting and expectation, we ask Your Spirit to guide us. Help us to hear Your truth and let it fill our hearts with peace and joy. Teach us to walk in the light of Your wisdom, following Jesus, Your Living Word, as we prepare to celebrate His coming. Amen.
When my daughters were younger, Friday nights meant movie nights. We’d cuddle up on the couch and watch children’s movies together. Those moments are some of my favorite memories.
Now that they’re older, our movie nights don’t happen as often. And sometimes, I don’t just miss those fun moments—I also miss those children’s movies.
A couple of weeks ago, while flying to Edmonton, I stumbled upon Inside Out, Pixar’s heartwarming, Oscar-winning film from 2016.
Have you seen it? If you haven’t, let me tell you about it because it beautifully illustrates what we will talk about today.
Imagine this: inside your head, there’s a control tower —your very own emotional headquarters— managing every thought and feeling you experience.
What if you could dial down anger and frustration and instead let joy and gratitude take the lead? How different would life feel? How much lighter?
The movie takes you inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Riley, where her emotions —Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust— come to life as quirky, colorful characters. Together, they work in Riley’s "Headquarters," navigating her feelings and decisions as she faces life’s ups and downs.
At the start, Joy is the leader, ensuring Riley stays happy and upbeat. She sees herself as the most important emotion, trying to keep Sadness away from the controls.
But when Riley’s family moves to a new city, everything she’s known —her friendships, routines, and comforts— gets turned upside down. Sadness starts creeping into the controls, much to Joy’s frustration.
Things take a dramatic turn when Joy and Sadness are accidentally ejected from Headquarters. Together, they embark on a journey to find their way back.
Along the way, Joy learns a profound truth: Sadness isn’t the enemy of happiness.
Some of Riley’s most joyful and healing moments come from letting Sadness play its part.
By the end of the movie, Joy and Sadness learn to work together, helping Riley embrace both the highs and lows of life.
Now, let me ask you—how’s your December going? Are you finding joy in the season, or does it feel a bit like Riley’s control tower is out of control?
Maybe you’re stuck in long lines at the mall, busy with cooking, baking, and writing Christmas cards. Or maybe all the holiday busyness has left you feeling tired, and joy seems hard to find.
Today, as we light the third Advent candle, we pause to reflect on joy. This pink candle, different from the others, reminds us that even in a season of preparation, joy is meant to break through.
The first candle represents Hope, the second Peace, and now, Joy. Christmas cards and decorations are filled with the word ‘joy.’ But have you ever paused to ask—what does joy truely mean?
The joy we celebrate today isn’t fleeting or merely surface-level happiness. It’s deeper — rooted in the unshakable truth of God’s love for us.
As we’ll see in Philippians 4:4-7, this joy isn’t about ignoring sadness or pretending everything’s perfect. Instead, it grows from trusting God even in life’s messiness.
True joy is about being part of something incredible —the Kingdom of God. It’s about knowing Jesus, who is the ultimate source of our joy.
When Paul wrote Philippians —often called the “Epistle of Joy”— he mentioned joy or rejoicing 13 times. Yet, he wasn’t writing from comfort or abundance.
Paul wasn’t living in a luxurious home. He didn’t own a fancy chariot or have a perfect health report. He didn’t have a stable savings account or a great retirement plan. And the churches he had planted? They were far from problem-free.
Instead, Paul was writing from a prison cell. He had been stripped of his freedom, locked away, and sentenced to death.
On top of that, many of the churches he poured his heart into were struggling. If anyone had a reason to complain, it was Paul. And yet, he commands us to rejoice with him.
There comes a time in life when we all face unavoidable pressures, difficult people, and unexplainable problems.
What do you do when you're stressed out?
It’s not easy to rejoice when the pressures are overwhelming, when the problems seem unending, or when people are unkind.
Maybe you’ve already realized that life will bring circumstances that aren’t joyful — situations that won’t make you want to light up a Christmas tree or sing carols.
Some of you may be in those circumstances right now. Maybe the challenges you’re facing have drained your enthusiasm for Christmas gatherings, decorations, or celebrations.
You might even feel guilty about it, wondering, “What’s wrong with me? Everyone else seems so happy, but I just don’t feel like smiling.”
Paul speaks directly to moments like these. He reminds us that while life’s circumstances may be difficult, we can still rejoice in the Lord.
Notice that Paul doesn’t say to rejoice in your circumstances.
He doesn’t tell us to rejoice in health issues, difficult relationships, overwhelming problems, or grief. Instead, he says, rejoice in the Lord.
We can rejoice in the greatness of the Lord, in His grace, and in His goodness. God is the one who gives us the strength to rejoice — even in life’s darkest moments. Even in the shadow of death, God offers joy and peace. It’s His promise, and He will not fail.
In addition to rejoicing, Paul encourages us to be known for our gentleness and patience. As Christians, we’re called to be reasonable and wise, handling difficulties and disagreements with maturity — not easily angered or foolish.
Ministry, like life, isn’t always smooth or joyful. Someone once asked me, “As a pastor, aren’t you supposed to be happy and excited? Why are you stressed while doing God’s work?”
In theory, they’re right. As a minister, I should be full of gratitude, joy, peace, hope, and enthusiasm. But the reality? I’m human.
When I face challenges and conflicts in ministry, I feel upset, frustrated, anxious, angry, and disappointed.
And yet, I still choose to be joyful and grateful—even though, I’ll admit, it doesn’t always happen immediately.
It takes time to calm my heart, to choose peace, and to shift my focus back to God's grace.
Gentleness, as Paul describes it, is not a sign of weakness.
The English word gentleness can often be misunderstood as being soft or mild. But in Greek, epieikes refers to tolerance and choosing not to exert one’s authority and power to the uttermost.
Gentleness isn’t simply being nice or kind. It’s about making a deliberate choice to treat others with humility, kindness, and respect, relying on Christ’s power and humility.
If I try to stay peaceful and smile through conflicts and challenges, does that make me weak? I hope not — and I don’t believe it does.
Similarly, when you choose gentleness toward others, you are not showing weakness. You are demonstrating strength by letting God’s love and power work through you more effectively so that God might be glorified.
Paul closes this section with an incredible promise: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Instead of letting fear and worry take over, we are invited to bring our burdens to God. Not with hesitation or doubt, but with reverence and gratitude, trusting that He hears us.
Paul assures us that when we do this, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
This peace isn’t something the world can offer. It’s not the absence of problems, but the presence of God in the midst of them. It’s a supernatural peace that doesn’t always make sense but is profoundly real.
Even in turmoil, you can experience this peace—and with it, the joy that springs from trusting in Him.
Friends, as we journey through this Advent season, Paul’s words remind us that joy is not dependent on perfect circumstances.
It’s not about ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine.
Joy is found in choosing to trust the God who holds all things together.
Inside Out offers a beautiful metaphor for this truth. Joy is not the absence of sadness or fear; it’s the presence of something deeper, something that acknowledges life’s challenges but refuses to let them define us.
Advent joy works the same way —it doesn’t deny the struggles but transcends them, rooted in the hope, peace, and love of Christ.
So, in this season, choose to trust God.
Choose to thank Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do.
Remember, He gave us His Son, Jesus, to redeem us.
Jesus is with us now, walking alongside us in every trial.
And He will come again to make all things new.
Hold on to Him. Let Him lead you to the path of hope, peace, and joy. This is the good news of Advent: Emmanuel — God is with us.
So rejoice, not because life is easy, but because our God is faithful, our Savior has come, and His promises are sure.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, there are moments when life feels heavy, and joy seems out of reach. The burdens we carry often leave us discouraged, anxious, or overwhelmed. Yet, when we lift our eyes to You, we find a joy that surpasses understanding—a joy rooted in Christ, our Savior.
Today, we choose to rejoice in Him, not because our circumstances are perfect, but because You are faithful. Let the light of Your joy shine through us, so we may share the Good News of Your salvation and bring peace to a weary world.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the true Source of our Joy, we pray. Amen.