Philippians 4:4-7 ESV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4 is often quoted, but when we look at the verses following it, we can see an even greater encouragement than to rejoice always. In verse 5, Paul says to let our reasonableness (steadfastness, patience, endurance) be know to everyone. We are supposed to rejoice, but we are not supposed to be on an emotional high all the time. We are to be steady, patient, and filled with peace.
I think that the main idea of this whole scripture passage is not rejoicing, but that "The Lord is at hand." God is always here, in each and every moment of each and every life. When we know that God is always with us, then we can pray for anything at any time, and we can be thankful and rejoice that God has given us the opportunity to have such a close, and constant relationship with Him. God will then guard our hearts and minds with peace. We are able to rejoice and remain steadfast because God is always at hand.
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