There seems to be a perception among many people that being a Christian is a drab, joyless, depressing existence. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While it is true that Christians can expect a certain amount of animosity and rejection due to our faith (2 Timothy 3:12; John 15:19), the apostle Paul makes it clear that the negative side of living the Christian life is “not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Christians have so much cause for rejoicing. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” We can rejoice because we know that this life is not the end for us as Christians. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” We are assured that God loves and cares for us (Matthew 10:29-31), and that, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).
The apostle Paul was not one to repeat himself within the same context very often. When he does you can be assured that the subject is one he considered to be very important. In Philippians 4:4 Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!” Let us, as Christians, strive to “rejoice always”.