Aug 28 Mon
The Apostle commands us to rejoice, but in the Lord, not in the world. For, as Scripture says, whoever wishes to be a friend of this world will be counted as God’s enemy. Just as a man cannot serve two masters, so too no-one can rejoice both in the world and in the Lord.
Let joy in the Lord win, and go on winning, until we rely no more on finding joy in the world. Let joy in the Lord always go on growing, and joy in the world always go on shrinking, until it is reduced to nothing. I do not mean that we should not rejoice as long as we are in this world, but that even while we do find ourselves in this world, we should already be rejoicing in the Lord.
Someone may argue, “I am in the world; so obviously, if I rejoice, I rejoice where I am.” What of it?
Because you are in the world, does it mean that you are not in the Lord?... Listen to the Apostle in the Acts of the Apostles, speaking to the Athenians, and saying about God and about the Lord, our Creator, “In him we live, and move, and are.” Since he is everywhere, there is nowhere that he is not. Is it not precisely this that he is emphasizing to encourage us? The Lord is very near; do not be anxious about anything.
This is something tremendous, that he ascended above all the heavens but is still very near to us, to sustain our joy in the struggle.
“So then, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world; that is, rejoice in faithfulness and not in iniquity; rejoice in the hope of eternity, and not the brief flower of vanity. Rejoice thus, and wherever you are here, as long as you are here, the Lord is very near: do not be anxious about anything.” St Augustine
Let us make one point, that we meet each other, each time, with a smile; especially when it is difficult to smile. Let’s smile at each other… and make time for those in your family.
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