Rejoice and Mourn

Paul provided a lot of excellent advice to followers of Christ for everyday living in the book of Romans.  The Lord provided great insight to Paul that we can all learn from about reflecting the Lord’s love to those He places in our path.  I read this morning:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  ~ Romans 12:15

A simple short verse that packs a big punch.  There is one part of that verse that I live up to most of the time.  The OTHER part, not so much.  You really just have to love the way the Holy Spirit uses scripture to show us what we need to work on.

I am what you might call a “cry sharer.”  If you share something with me that causes you to cry, I will join you in the tears.  There are times when I wish I could turn that automatic feature off, but I can’t.  My God-given response is to comfort, share in their sorrow, and encourage them where I can.  God has enabled me to mourn with those who mourn.

The other part of the verse is a whole different story for me.  Why is it so hard at times to rejoice with those who are rejoicing?  The other day I flipped through a local magazine and saw someone that I barely know featured in the publication.  She’s extremely talented, accomplished, beautiful, skinny, kind hearted, and to top it all off she’s much younger than me.  Looking through that magazine, you know what immediately came over me?  Well it wasn’t a desire to rejoice.  It was jealousy! Yep, there it is.

My first response isn’t usually happiness over other’s successes but instead I think about the following:  how it affects me, why didn’t this great thing happen for me, what’s wrong with me, when will I get what they have.  It is humbling to admit those feelings, but there they are.  Here is the problem with all my thoughts when I hear of other’s successes – those thoughts are all about ME.  

When we take ourselves out of the equation, it is so much simpler to rejoice with others.  Setting aside “ourselves” is certainly not easy in any situation, but the more we read and understand God’s word, the clearer it becomes that our focus should be on Him and not on ourselves.  He is our guide, He’s the one we should be looking to as our role model for living, and, when we start to question our own successes, it really means that we are doubting our Savior and the blessings He has freely given to us along the way.  His grace truly is sufficient for our every need.  Each of us have so much more than we could ever earn or deserve.

And as usual, there is such a bonus in being obedient to rejoicing with those who rejoice.  We are ultimately happier people for it!  There is no pleasure in petty jealousy or envy.  In fact, it can grow a web of bitterness over our heart.  Our lives were meant for so much more than that!

Perhaps my struggle isn’t yours, maybe for you it is harder to mourn with those who are mourning.  Either way, ask The Lord today to help you in showing His love to others.  On our own, these commands may seem impossible.  But we know with the Lord’s help, ALL things are possible!

My prayer is that we commit our hearts to love and see others the way The Lord does.  That we mourn with those who mourn.  That we reach out to those we know are hurting.  That we show them Christ’s love and pray that His perfect peace will help them overcome.  And that we sincerely rejoice with those who rejoice.  Praising God not only for the blessings we have received but for how He blesses and works in the lives of those around us.  I pray that He works in us every day to strip us of our own insecurities and self-centered focus and instead give us a laser light focus upward to His great love.