With Those

Romans 12 says Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

I think we’re good at weeping with those who weep. 

When we hear of a horrible natural disaster, the images on social media bring tears to our eyes.  When we watch the news and learn again of another shooting, another senseless killing, or another accident that takes the lives of family members, tears well up and we sit and weep with those who are weeping, even if we’ve never met them personally.

However, the rejoicing part is selective, isn’t it?  If we hear of someone receiving a great blessing and we think they deserve it, it’s easy to rejoice.  For instance, if one of the people who were in the weeping category come to receive restoration by some miracle, we rejoice with them!

But what about those who are rejoicing that we’ve judged as unworthy?  What about the

friend who experiences success after success, when we have experienced failure after failure?

It’s in those times that it’s difficult to rejoice with those who rejoice.

However, if we can do it, great things happen in our own hearts.

We truly love our neighbor as ourselves, because we have learned to lay aside competition, jealousy, and envy, and replace it with love, honor and blessing of a friend.

That, my friend, is true maturity and selfless love in one of its purest forms.

Rejoice!