Philippians can also be called the epistle on ‘Joy’ with that word featuring more than a dozen times. However the circumstance under which Paul writes does not merit for even the mention of that word! He was in prison! This is an indication to us, an uptight and melancholic camp, that ‘Joy’ is not a reaction or a response rather, ‘Joy’ is a decision. ‘To rejoice’ is a choice. We need to determine to rejoice else our ‘Joy’ will leak away! Yeah, your read it right – leak away! It’s so true.
Many of us know this verse by-heart but do we really know the ‘Joy’ that it talks about – a joy that’ll never depart?! Why is it that the ‘Joy’ that we sing about so often and even take pleasure in, suddenly goes absconding? Let me say again, as does Paul, ‘Joy’ is a decision. To have that ‘Joy’ is not something that comes naturally to us, but we have to talk our mind into it! We have to resolve like Daniel did and speak to our souls like David by perhaps saying, “Rejoice in the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, rejoice!”
A look at the epistle closely and we see a few specific instances where Paul’s ‘Joy’ could have leaked away.
However, every time the ‘Joy’ was endangered, he decided to rejoice! And why would he not? When Satan, sin and death have been defeated and God continuously crushes their influence under the feet of those who are excellent in what is good and innocent of evil, why not rejoice, why be gloomy? How can anyone sulk when the greatest price that ever could be paid for our redemption has been paid by the very Son of God who humbled himself to die even a death on a Cross? If even after a “Cross” we show despair, will not God say, “There is nothing else left to be done. It’s finished! There is nothing else I can do to bring his joy back!” I strongly believe, Jesus redeemed not only our souls but also our ‘Joy’!
Paul cites about some who preached the gospel with the wrong intentions! In fact their preaching was increasing his afflictions. However, Paul decided to rejoice primarily because for the very reason that he was behind bars; the proclamation of the gospel; was being fulfilled by these people, albeit with wrong attitude and objective.
Paul perhaps should have thought that these people were proclaiming it where actually he should have been heralding it! They were doing what perhaps he should have done. But again I say, Paul decided to rejoice! Often, we want us and ourselves alone to be the ones doing the work that gets applause and credit. We want to be the reason behind successes; we want our work to be better than that of the rest! If someone else gets the credit for the things that we were also toiling to accomplish, we manage to smile but not before some of our ‘Joy’ leaked away! Jealousy creates a big ‘Joy’ leak. Paul checked it.
Paul should have been angry and upset. In increasing his afflictions and delaying his release, his anger was justified too. But he decided that “being justified for anger” is never a substitute for ‘Joy’. Anger, especially for the angry, is always justified. However we all know that anger facilitates a royal ‘Joy’ leak-away.
Paul then narrates about the uncertainty of his future. Now that can be a big ‘Joy Stealer’. However Paul goes down along both the roads that were in front of him, freedom and death and finds blessed assurance at the end of both the roads. On the road of freedom he finds fruitfulness in the proclamation of the gospel and on the road to death he found an eternity with God and both were uplifting ends and so he decided to rejoice and not let the uncertainty cause a ‘Joy’ leak. How can we lose trust in the one who has called us in the first place and even look uncertain about our destiny! Paul decided that since the one who holds him holds his future, he would rejoice. So should we.
Paul also talks about Epaphroditus to the Philippians. Paul was surrounded by people who hurt him, left him and pushed him towards despair. There were ample reasons why he could resound that it was better to trust in the Lord and not to trust in men at all and he could have also let these people leak away the ‘Joy’ inside him. But he looks at one Epaphroditus who was sincere all through and makes him the plug that stops the leak. Often we let a few insincere people rob the joy that good people have brought to us. When we despair, Isn’t it unfair to the people who really care for us! Let’s decide to rejoice no matter what people do to us!
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, chose to rejoice.
