Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NLT

s I stood in the rain listening to the music, my attention was drawn to an elderly lady. Her bright pink raincoat made her stand out in the gloomy greyness of the day, but what really caught my eye was her reaction to the music. It seemed impossible for her to stand still, and before long she was dancing.

Taking a rainbow umbrella from a couple nearby, she began to dance in front of the crowd, twirling the umbrella as she went.

While there was nothing spectacular about her dancing, her joy was contagious. The rain continued to fall but the once-silent crowd were now smiling and talking. The whole atmosphere had changed because a little old lady chose joy over gloom.
Similarly, in Paul's letter to the Philippians, his situation is dire - imprisoned for no crime other than preaching the Gospel - yet his words bubble over with joy.

What is his secret? How can he find joy even in such awful circumstances?
Paul chooses where to focus.

He focuses on the Gospel and on where God is at work, rejoicing in the opportunities he has to share his faith, even in prison.

He chooses to focus on eternity - the fact that he is a "citizen of heaven." God is ultimately in charge and his suffering won't last forever.

He chooses to focus on others and to find joy in friendship.

We may not be able to choose our circumstances, but we can choose our attitude and our focus. We can choose, like Paul, to rejoice in the Lord - not necessarily to be joyful about our circumstances, but to find joy in God whatever our circumstances.

And when we choose that attitude, like Paul, and like the lady dancing in the rain, it can impact others and bring joy to them too.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-philippians-4-4-choose-joy/