Choose to Rejoice

Years ago I was listening to a woman on the radio program. She was reading Galatians 5 where it says, “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law.”

Then this woman said, “You know, there is no law against too much love. There is no law against too much joy… and so on and so on.”

That simple thought really struck me. Think about that for a moment – there is no law against too much joy! We are told by the Lord to rejoice. Even in bad times, the potential for joy is there, because the Spirit of God is within us.

Philippians 4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice!” It’s a choice, yes! Sometimes it’s a difficult choice, but we can rejoice because the blessed Holy Spirit, who produces joy, lives within us.

So, what does this have to do with evangelism? Everything! A joyful spirit is what makes followers of Jesus stand out from the rest of the crowd.

As you and I choose to rejoice ‘always,’ no matter what the circumstances, we are setting ourselves apart. We are letting the light of Christ, the joy of Christ, shine through our situation. By choosing to rejoice, we can be powerful witnesses to those in need of the Savior’s joy.