December 18 - Philippians 4:4

December 18, 2025
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“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

“Rejoice” is a word we don’t often use in everyday life, yet in Philippians 4:4, Paul tells us not once but twice to rejoice. To rejoice means to display great joy and delight, but the kind of joy Paul speaks of goes much deeper than simple happiness.

As we enter the Christmas season, there are many favorite Christmas traditions that bring joy—a meal with friends or family, a treat that you only get during this season, watching Christmas movies, or a favorite holiday tradition, like looking at lights or putting up a Christmas tree. These are moments filled with happiness, but when Paul commands us to rejoice, he invites us to look not at something but at someone. He points us to the greatest joy–Christ Himself!

Paul’s words on rejoicing come just after his reminder about our citizenship in heaven and the hope we have of a returning Savior (Philippians 3:20). That is the foundation for our joy: it is not found in the passing moments of a season, but rather in the eternal person of Jesus Christ.

At Christmas, our joy looks back on a sacred holy night when God took on flesh–Emmanuel, God with Us! But as believers, we also look forward to a day when Christ will return, which gives us joy in the moment and hope for what tomorrow brings. 

This Christmas, may our hearts find joy in the Christmas season and worship for the everlasting One. We know that Christ came and that He will come again!

Rejoice in the Lord always, again, I say, rejoice. Are you excited about what's coming in a few days? I'm sure that you've probably already been to maybe a Christmas party or watch that favorite holiday movie or, um, you know, maybe have that special Christmas treat that you only get at Christmas time. There is joy to be had in all of these things. Me personally. I like a good peppermint mocha during Christmas time. It's easy to focus on the things around us during this time because everything kind of looks pretty, and people seem to be a little bit nicer. But even the people around us, um, we can sometimes put our desires in the wrong place, our joy, put in the people and the things around us. And Paul reminds us in this passage that our joy is found in the Lord and the Lord alone. Can we find joy in our family? Yes. Can we find joy in the simple day-to-day things that we get to do at Christmas time, like look at Christmas lights? Absolutely. But this is a good reminder from Paul that not once, but twice he says, rejoice, that our deepest, truest joy is found in the person of Jesus Christ. So this holiday season as we focus on the birth of Christ. Remind yourself that the joy of Christ is not seasonal. It's actually eternal, which means we get to do this all year long for the rest of eternity. He came 2000 years ago as a baby, and he will come again as a reigning king. So yes, rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice.