{"id":2612,"date":"2022-11-22T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/?p=2612"},"modified":"2025-07-14T17:51:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T21:51:02","slug":"how-to-rejoice-when-life-drains-our-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nancylucenay.com\/staging\/8869\/how-to-rejoice-when-life-drains-our-joy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Rejoice When Life Drains Our Joy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Learning
Photo by Megan te Boekhorst on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Nights were the hardest when my heart and mind raced as angry memories of a painful past and anxious visions of a frightening future replayed on the lids covering my sleepless eyes. So many emotions surged within me, but joy wasn\u2019t one of them. Like you, I knew the biblical command to rejoice always. Yet how could I speak joy when I felt so distraught? I struggled to be faithful but real. Can you relate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we rejoice when life drains our joy? And why would we? Isn\u2019t that the very definition of hypocrisy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both the author of\u00a0Philippians<\/em>\u00a0and his audience faced difficulties that appeared impossible to overcome. Paul wrote from prison, chained and awaiting a trial and possible execution for preaching the gospel. He longed for the freedom to minister to the churches he\u2019d started and to share the good news of salvation with those who needed to hear it. Unfortunately, some, rather than encourage Paul and come to his aid, used his imprisonment to discredit him and gain honor<\/a> for themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul had a close, loving relationship with the Philippians, and they yearned to provide him with financial and emotional support. Although some members were wealthy, overall, the church had limited resources. Besides their concern about Paul\u2019s welfare, Philippian Christians suffered harassment from hostile unbelievers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-pity would have been understandable. Yet, Paul prayed joyfully and encouraged the Philippians (all pronouns used are plural) to rejoice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!<\/p>\nPhilippians 4:4<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The word translated as \u201crejoice\u201d expresses either something we feel (joy) or something we do, meaning we can rejoice even when we don\u2019t feel joyous. Paul reminds us that since we choose our response to hardships, we can make a choice to rejoice. Rather than denying reality, rejoicing looks to a greater actuality\u2014God\u2019s redemptive power over our suffering. Being part of the body of Christ is a right plus a responsibility, and our choices impact group dynamics. Individual members and Christian fellowships grow stronger when believers share their burdens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Rejoice?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As one who had learned to be content despite painful circumstances, Paul empathized with the Philippians\u2019 distress but urged them to redirect their focus and draw strength from the Lord and one another. So how can we rejoice when times are tough?<\/p>\n\n\n\n