“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Those words form part of the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and they have been quoted as the beginning of the Christian life ever since. Christian joy is a mark of the work of the Spirit in the believer, and manifests itself as a response to a saving knowledge of God and includes the following expressions: 

Contentment. When the work of the Lord and His salvation is the ultimate anchor of your joy, the circumstances you face, although possibly difficult, will not rob you of your joy. A grumbling spirit will be replaced by a contented one.

Worship. Joy is not something you can simply hold, turn over, and examine as if it were a math problem, or a philosophical notion. Joy overflows out of the heart into an expression. When joy is expressed to God it always takes the form of worship: proclaiming His goodness in the presence of the saints.

Selfless Service. Joy is not only expressed to God, but also to man. Our joy in the Lord is also seen in how we care for each other. We love God’s people because He loves God’s people. The care we show to each other is not primarily an activity of doing good things, but rather living out the joy we have in Christ.

I pray that our joy in the Lord would increase. That as we learn to love Him together, we would grow in our love for each other too.