“Rejoice…and Again I Say, Rejoice”

How much control do you have over your emotional state? Maybe more than you think.

In Paul’s letter to church members in Philippi, written while he was imprisoned in Rome, he expresses his own joy, and he encourages them to be joyful as well:

• “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,” he says at the beginning, “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy” (Philippians 1:3-4).
• After acknowledging that some gospel teachers are more humble and sincere than others, he concludes, “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Philippians 1:18).
• He tells them that he finds joy in his suffering and sacrifices: “I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy” (Philippians 2:17-18, New Living Translation).
• About halfway through the letter, he gives what sounds like his conclusing counsel: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.” (Philippians 3:1).
• Closer to the end, he emphasizes this admonition again: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

Surely someone in Philippi, hearing this letter, noted the irony. Their imprisoned leader, who had so much to complain about, was sharing a message of joy and urging them to find joy as well.

Paul teaches them in the epistle that you need not be a victim of your emotions. You can learn to manage them. “I have learned,” he writes, “in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). And how does he manage this? Partly by simpling focusing on the positive things around him:

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8; see also Articles of Faith 1:13

The word “gospel” means good news. The angel who appeared to the shepherds when Jesus was born brought “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10). The angel who appeared to King Benjamin characterized his message the same way:

I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy.

For the Lord…hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.

Mosiah 3:3-4

And the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob urged his people, “Let your hearts rejoice” (2 Nephi 9:52).

Which raises the question: Do we prevent ourselves from feeling joy? Yes, we sometimes do.

This graph, published last week in The Economist, shows how reported happiness among Americans (the light blue line) has diverged in recent years from the level of happiness suggested by economic indicators (the dark blue line):

Basically, Americans are sadder than we used to be, and we’re sadder than we should be, given our circumstances. Admittedly, we all have things going on in our lives that aren’t captured by economic indicators, but the dark blue line suggests that there are also positives in our lives which we are collectively failing to appreciate. Just as Paul taught the Philippians, rejoicing is something we choose to do, not something that just happens to us.

I remember Howard W. Hunter’s counsel:

I think it is incumbent upon us to rejoice a little more and despair a little less, to give thanks for what we have and for the magnitude of God’s blessings to us, and to talk a little less about what we may not have or what anxiety may accompany difficult times in this or any generation.

“An Anchor to the Souls of Men,” Brigham Young University Devotional Address, 7 February 1993

In 1744, inspired by Paul’s admonition, Charles Wesley wrote the words to the hymn “Rejoice, the Lord is King!” This hymn has been sung with several different melodies over the years. I hope you enjoy this arrangement with a melody by John Darwall:

Today, I will rejoice, and I will help other people rejoice as well. I will remember the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will focus on the positive things happening around me. I will strive to manage my emotions better and to find joy even in difficult circumstances.