I’m going to have to admit to all of you that the last few weeks of my life have been better than great and there is so much to rejoice about. In fact, there is so much “good” right now that I have a hard time finding things to be dissatisfied with. My closest friend frequently tells me, “What, you want me to play the world’s smallest violin for you Jon’than? The pigeons won’t get out of your way, that’s your biggest complaint?” I’m not bragging, I’m depicting my current disposition versus my longing to moan and groan about life. It’s like I’m looking for reasons not to be content and joyful for myself. It’s as if human nature is predisposed to be dissatisfied with life as we know it and crave something else. This is the most pathetic plight of will within us– we complain because we can, not because we earned a right to do so. Rejoice always… – 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Two words today: “rejoice always.” The life significance of these two words are immeasurable. The reason why is simple– it is the will of God for your life. He wants you to be satisfied and filled in a state of happiness and felicity all the time. This is the kind of God we believe in; He commands us to rejoice always. The problem with rejoicing always is obvious– we are prone to complaining in our natures. The reason we are prone to complaining is not our fault either. It’s everybody else around us that takes away from our “rejoicing.” Yes, what I’m saying is that all of us can point to a major buzz kill that takes our rejoicing away from us. We would probably be better off following God’s command to rejoice always if we would pray constantly that these major buzz kills would die from our lives. Am I right? But since that’s ethically wrong, coming from the mouth of a morally misguided pastor; here’s a prescription to make your “major buzz kills”, that take away from your rejoicing always, become sources of joy and thanksgiving: “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV) You can rejoice all the time if you start implementing change within the lives of people who take away your joy on a regular basis. Wayne Dyer once wrote, “you can’t always control what goes on outside, but you can control your inside.” Admonishing, encouraging, helping and being patient with the very people who cause you joyful failures changes your unpleasant disposition of complaint to one of expectant thankfulness. You control how you receive people who take joy away from your life. You should know that you are in control of rejoicing in how you receive people who try to take your joy. Change your attitude toward them and they will become a source of joy for you always.