Glen Averill

6 Ways to Rejoice in the Lord



Posted: Tuesday, July 21, 2009

by
Source of Joy Ministries

You may be suffering today. You may have an illness, or your finances may be in trouble, or you may have a loved one who is weighed down with troubles. Still, if you are a Christian, you can still rejoice in the Lord. This doesn't mean that your troubles will go away, but it does mean that you can gain strength from Him to get through those troubles.

I want to suggest six practical ways to help you rejoice in the Lord today. There are many other ways, but we don't have room for all of those in this article:

1.) Spend time with God's people through your local church. Fellow Christians can encourage one another and point each other to Christ. You can effectively serve others by using the spiritual gifts and abilities God has given you. Also, you don't have to wait until Sunday to see your Christian brothers and sisters. Call someone up and have a cup of coffee with them, or invite them to lunch or dinner. Take a walk together. Rejoice in the Lord!

2.) Get outdoors and enjoy this world God has created. Even though this world is fallen and under God's curse because of sin, there is still a lot of His beauty remaining. Let that beauty and grandeur prompt you to worship and praise the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Look past the bad things in this world and enjoy the good. Rejoice in the Lord!

3.) When you're in your car, plug in some good Christian music or a sermon CD. Find a good Christian radio station and let your heart be blessed. You probably spend a lot of time in your car, so make good use of that time.

4.) Celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. God gave these ordinances as a means of grace for His people. Baptism and the Lord's Supper remind us of what Christ has done for us. So when your church administers these sacraments, be there and enjoy His grace. Rejoice in the Lord!

5.) Give to others every chance you get. Give of your time and of your resources. God is the Great Giver, and when you reflect that and give unselfishly to others, you find yourself strangely blessed. Rejoice in the Lord!

6.) Write a passage of Scripture on a 3 by 5 card and keep it in your pocket or purse. Look at that verse often throughout the day. You may not be able to carry your Bible with you everywhere, but you can tuck away a card like that and meditate on that verse. King David once said, "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." (KJV)

These six things are relatively simple to do, but the reward will be wonderful. God's joy goes much deeper than a surface feeling. Let His joy flood your soul today!

Glen Averill has been a Christian minister and journalist for more than 25 years. The purpose of Source of Joy ministries is to encourage Christians to be all they can be in Christ.

Glen lives in the Kansas City metro area with his wife and children. He is a licensed minister and has worked for several newspapers and magazines as an editor and writer. His passion is for proclaiming Jesus Christ as the only Way, Truth, and Life.

You can contact glen at 913-593-1850, or check out his site at http://glenaverill.info.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Teresa Ortiz
 2 years 175 days ago.
187 fans.
Great advice indeed. I am doing a study right now through the book of Philippians with David Jeremiah, he talks of some of these same things. One of the worst things we can do when hard times come is retreat within ourselves. God created people to need people. Thanks for sharing these encouraging words. Blessings to you! Teresa
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