"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord"(Phil. 3:1).

"Rejoice in the Lord alway:and again I say, Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4).

"Rejoice evermore" (1 Thess. 5:16).

"Giving thanks always for all things" (Eph. 5:20).

"Abounding therein with thanksgiving" (Col. 2:7).

"And be ye thankful" (Col. 3:15).

"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Col. 4:2).

"In every thing give thanks" (1 Thess. 5:18).

"I exhort therefore, that . . . giving of thanks be made for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1).

There are two things implied by the continual repetition in Scripture of the exhortations to rejoice
and give thanks. First, it is something which God obviously regards as important for His people.
Second, it is something which His people tend not to regard as important, and thus require
constant reminders as to its importance and necessity.

The words "rejoice" and "give thanks" are closely related words, coming from the same Greek
root. Both of these, in turn, are allied to the Greek word for "grace." Thus, we have expressed
in this group of words the action and attitude of the giver as well as the proper response on the
part of the recipient of the gift.

We, as believers in Christ, have been brought into relationship with a bountiful Giver, who has
given, does presently give, and will continue throughout eternity to give to us "exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20). How much do we thank the Lord for His
grace, and rejoice in Him who is the perfect Giver?

The apostle Paul, in writing to the Philippian saints, comments on several different sources of joy
to him and to the Philippians (1:4,5; 1:18; 1:25,26; 2:2; 2:17,18; 2:28; and 4:10). But in Phil.
3:1 and 4:4 he speaks of a rejoicing which is independent of all circumstances and conditions:
"Rejoice in the Lord" This implies a spirit of peace and contentment, satisfaction and happiness
that our God is a giving God and that He is above and in complete control of every circumstance
that passes into our lives.

In the verses quoted at the beginning of this article, we note the insistence upon an attitude of
continual rejoicing and thanksgiving. "Rejoice evermore." "Giving thanks always for all things."
Now this is quite contrary to the way most of us have been brought up. We are conditioned to give

thanks for those things which make us happy, the things which benefit us, the good things that
happen to us. But Scripture tells us, "In every thing give thanks." Many objections or exceptions
might be made to this point. How can I be thankful for the death of my child, my broken leg, the
trouble my teenager has gotten into, the loss of my job, the terrible injustice that has been done
to me, the theft of my car? A number of reasons for giving thanks in all things come to our
attention as we search the Scriptures.

1. Trials and adversities, if responded to in the right way, work in us patience and dependence
upon the Lord. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may
be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:2-4).

2. Trials and difficulties, along with all the circumstances of life which the Lord causes us to pass
through, are given with the view of our being sanctified wholly (1 Thess. 5:23) unto God and our
becoming more and more conformed to the image of His Son. "And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For
whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son"
(Romans 8:28,29).

3. Adverse circumstances may often lead us into new spheres of service for the Lord_spheres
which we will recognize and in which we will be useful only if we respond to the trial with a
thankful spirit of dependence upon the God of all grace. Read Acts 16:22-34 about Paul and Silas
in prison at Philippi for a beautiful example of this.

4. Trials are often sent to us to help uncover to our blind hearts and hardened consciences some
sin that is in our lives. How good it is if the trial causes us to be cast upon the Lord and creates
in us an attitude of heart which He can deal with. And if the sin be uncovered and judged, what
blessing will follow! "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou
art rebuked of Him:For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. . . . Now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit
of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:5-11).

Therefore, rather than having a gloomy, depressed, despairing, unbelieving spirit concerning the
things which beset us, let us "rejoice in the Lord," "giving thanks always for all things." May we
become more in the habit of actually thanking the Lord for the adversities and difficulties which
come into our lives, having a spirit of peaceful confidence that all things are in His hands and that
"all things work together for good."

Now to some Christians, the "major" trials and tribulations of which we have been speaking pose
no great problem. Some of you may be quick to accept such trials as from the Lord and equally
quick to learn what He wants you to learn from the trial. But there is a different level of trials
which sometimes pose greater problems to the recipient than do the so-called "major" problems.
Such problems are the common irritations of life, the things that "don’t go our way." These are,
for example, the misplaced sweater, the spilled milk, the endless stream of telephone calls, the
unkind words, the flat tire, the keys locked in the car, the ants in the kitchen, the missed bus, the

colicky baby, the noisy neighbors, the burnt roast, the barking dogs, and so forth. How do we
respond to these things? Do we allow them to irritate us and make us impatient, angry, and
resentful? Or do we take them as from the Lord_take them peacefully and thankfully, being
assured that they are meant for our good?

May we thus learn to "count it all joy" when we experience various trials; may we be given the
ability to transform the irritations of life into sources of blessing and spiritual growth; may we take
heed to the commandment, "Rejoice in the Lord alway:and again I say, Rejoice."