This may sound like a weird duty to you, and I’ll admit the first time I studied and acknowledged it in my head it just didn’t sound right. Rejoicing seems to be the result of something that happens spontaneously. When you mention duty, we get the idea it is something required, and we do it because it is required not because we want to, or enjoy it. For instance, as an American citizen, it is my duty to vote in public elections. Do I enjoy going to the polls to vote? No! However, if I view this opportunity correctly, I should enjoy it. It is a privilege to be able to take part in who will sit in authority in our government, and privileges should be viewed with gratitude that brings joy to the heart. Multitudes in the world fight and give their lives for the duty to vote in their country. So yes, rejoicing is a duty. It is a privilege that brings a certain amount of responsibility with it, and it is our duty to take joy in fulfilling that responsibility.
First, we are to rejoice because of the awesome opportunity to be forgiven of our sins. Philippians 3:1 teaches us we are to rejoice in the Lord. We have a Savior that has experienced every emotion and every sorrow we could ever imagine, and He did that for us. He willingly placed himself on earth as a man so that He might take on our infirmities and bare our sins on the cross even though He was perfectly sinless. He did that so that the wrath of God could be turned away from us if we would repent and believe in Him. God loved us with an infinite love, but His holiness demanded sinless perfection to enter Heaven. Something that we could never achieve on our own. That is why Jesus died for us and we should rejoice in this truth every day. We should get up every day and say thank you Jesus for dying for my sins.
Philippians 3:1 “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.”
Second, we can rejoice in the value that God places on us as an individual. Millions flock to counselors and doctors’ offices daily because of their feelings of self-worth. They look for others’ opinions, or drugs to prop them up and make them feel valued as a person. If each person could grab hold of their real value as a person, they would not only feel purpose and meaning in life, but the medical profession would also take a huge hit in their revenue. We are not of value because of what we do in life. We are not of value because of who our parents are or how much money we have. We are of value because of who God says we are and the price He was willing to pay for us. Think about it, if McDonald’s were to raise the price of its hamburger to $1000.00 per burger no one would probably buy it. Why? Because it’s not worth it! Yet, God paid the ultimate price to redeem us back to himself by giving the life of His Son. He paid for our ransom because He loves us that much. We are worth it to Him. That is where our value comes from, and He would have done it if we were the only ones on earth. Now that my friend is a value we can’t overlook. This truth should make you want to rejoice all throughout the day.
Third, we have a God who is always with us. In Proverbs 18:24, we are taught we have a friend that will stick closer to us than a brother. In Deuteronomy 31:6, we are to take courage in the truth that he will not fail us or forsake us. In Hebrews 13:5, we again see that He will never leave us or forsake us. This is one of the greatest comforts of the Christian life, to know that I am never alone. That is something to rejoice about!
Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
There are 183 verses in the Bible that instruct us to rejoice. I could write continuously and never exhaust the reasons we should live rejoicing. I think Paul had the same feeling because twice he comes down to the simple statement in I Thessalonians 5:16 and Philippians 4:4 that we are to always be rejoicing! It is our duty to rejoice, and it is a duty that is not grievous but exuberating. Now, take on the day that God has given you and rejoice!
I Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice evermore.”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice.”
