An Eternal Perspective

Devotional Reading: Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow! Philippians 4:4 TPT

A key aspect of combating anxiety is changing the filter you use to see life. Paul helps us in learning how to do this. As Paul launched into how to battle anxiety in Philippians, he started by saying: “Rejoice [be joyful] in the Lord always.

This is another one of those verses where we are tempted to roll our eyes and think, Are you saying we can just choose joy, Paul? It’s that simple? Like, I just choose to be joyful?

It helps to remember that Paul wrote those words while chained in a prison cell, waiting to receive the death penalty. He clearly has the street creds to make such a claim.

Notice he doesn’t say, “Rejoice in the circumstances.” He says, “Rejoice in the Lord” in every circumstance.

Paul would say that you can choose to see the world around you with either an earthly perspective, thinking, Life sucks. This is always how it’s going to be. Bad things always happen to me, or you can choose to see the world with an eternal perspective.

That’s how Paul was able to choose joy: he maintained an eternal perspective. He put the “joy in the Lord” filter over everything in his life. He repeatedly said things like, “The light and momentary pains are nothing compared to the eternity awaiting us” (see 2 Corinthians 4:17), and “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

When you feel the need to get anxious, remember that even in the worst, most mundane or frustrating moments, you can choose to look for how God is working and for his goodness. You can put the “joy in the Lord” filter on, whatever you are facing. The more you do, the more your feelings shift from worry to joy.

Prayer and Confession
Father, I choose joy regardless of what I am facing right now, I choose to bask in the glory ahead. And I also believe you’re working out things for my Good in the moment.

Further Reading: 1Thessalonians 5:16-18