Our culture tells us, “Don’t worry; be happy!”
Paul tells us, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice,” and “don’t worry about anything …”
They look alike; even their implicit and explicit purposes appear the same: that we might live lives of peace and, well, serenity now.
But while they may look identical on the surface, they are as different as a genuine apple plucked fresh from the tree is different from a plastic replica manufactured in a Chinese factory.
For the logic of our culture, often repeated in the Church, is that since “whatever will be will be, there is no sense in fretting; don’t worry about it and be happy while you can ‘for tomorrow will come regardless.’” In fact, some in the Church attribute such logic to Jesus who tells us to not be anxious for who “by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
But such is neither the logic of Paul nor of Jesus. The logic of Christian joy and peace is not found in looking the other way and pretending that causes for worry don’t exist. Rather, the logic of Christian joy and peace is found in the fact that the living God of all creation takes care of his creation and his people in creation. The issue is not pretending that we don’t know where our next paycheck is coming from or whether or not we’ll have a job next month, the issue is knowing the One in whose hands responsibility for all that rests: our living, good heavenly Father.
It is in THAT knowledge that we can rejoice while facing head-on the uncertainties, the unknowns, the vicissitudes of life – the knowledge of our God who has so clearly and gloriously displayed the goodness and power of his control over every circumstance of our life through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
It is in reference to THAT knowledge that Paul says that it is as we are “IN THE LORD” that we can rejoice in all circumstances; it is a life that is IN THE LORD’s grip of grace that rejoices with peace.
Come, then, let us rejoice together IN THE LORD, before the throne of grace in these days of our world’s need – the we may be reminded and the world may know that the Joy and Peace for which it longs is found IN THE LORD.