Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!
Reflection: I have been in a bit of a bad mood today, even as I write this devotional. I’m a little aggravated and I can’t wait until I can put my head to the pillow and go to bed… put the day in the rear-view mirror and start clean tomorrow. Often when I am in this mood, I put on a playlist of a few sure-fire tunes that make me happy. Pharrell William’s “Happy” is on that list. But one of my favorites is “Life’s a Happy Song” from The Muppets (movie) (2011… Amy Adams, Jason Segel). This is a fantastic musical… and movie… and song. The song starts, “Everything is great. Everything is grand. I’ve got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand. Everything is perfect. It’s falling into place. I can’t seem to wipe this smile off my face. Life’s a happy song when there’s someone by my side to sing along!” Listen to the song. I guarantee you it will make you smile. The book of Philippians uses the noun “joy” or verb “rejoice” more than thirty times. It is a letter written by Paul to the church about how one finds true joy. Joy is different, of course, than happiness. The word “happiness” comes from the root word “hap” (as in the word “happenstance”) which means “luck” or “chance.” Happiness (at its very root) means a feeling that comes about by chance. In this way, happiness is fleeting. Joy, on the other hand, is rooted in something deeper. It is rooted in the heart, by the Spirit of God. It is a deep-seated contentment, despite the circumstances. When I am in a bad mood, I don’t need the circumstances in my life to change by some chance happening. I need to get rooted deeper into Christ. I like good tunes here and there. They put a temporary smile on my face. But what I really need is the Spirit in my heart!
Prayer May we depend on You for our rejoicing. You are all we need. When our day is soured, may we find our joy and deepest contentment in You alone.
