Joy That Can’t Be Jailed

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4

I IMAGINE A DARK, damp stone cell. One stale, crusty piece of bread and a dirty cup of water for the day. Heavy chains wrapped around his legs and light seeping in through the cracks.

Someone else holds the keys to his freedom, his hope, his joy.

But do they?

When it comes to joy, the apostle Paul is our guide. He can help us shift our mind-set to see the gift in any circumstance. When he wrote his letter to the church in Philippi, he had been in jail for four years and yet his words are full of joy. If I were him, my words would be a complain-fest. But Paul uses the words rejoice or joy more than fifteen times! He rejoices that his current status will turn into deliverance as he trusts in the prayers of the saints. He is joyful when the people he loves are unified. He encourages everyone to be glad as he pours out his life so that they can know Christ more. He rejoices knowing that his chains are actually witnessing to God and the gospel of grace.

Turns out no one can jail his joy. No one can cage the Kingdom of God. No one can lock up the light inside.

Paul is showing us one of the most important spiritual truths: If we can’t find joy in the darkest places, then there’s no gospel. The goodness of the gospel has to be able to shine through the most broken vessel, the most broken situation, the most broken heart. We may not be able to rejoice in the middle of fear and death and sin, but we can rejoice in God Himself, His character, and His ability to redeem absolutely anything.

When everything else fails, the Lord never does. He is our joy. And choosing this joy in the midst of hardship looks stunning on us.

Paul wrote truth for us. I am sure his words were also for his own soul, coaching it in places where it may have felt despair. He was reminding his soul and the people of Philippi to pull back the lens of their circumstance and see the Lord. Who is He? Our very good God. What has He given us? So very much.

Despite our hardships, we can rejoice in our salvation. We can rejoice in His forgiveness. We can rejoice in the hope of heaven and the beautiful fact that there is nothing that has happened that God cannot redeem.

GRACE REFLECTION: Pray with me, “God, thank You that there is nothing in my life that You cannot redeem. Help me to find joy in my jails and to know You have come to give Your children inner peace and joy in the middle of a chaotic world. Amen.”