Romans 12:15: Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Believers are to identify with the world in the “ups and downs” of human life, to be a healing balm for a cold world. The world, says Chuck Swindoll, is characterized by
Indifference, non-commitment, disengagement, no sharing or caring … meals eaten with hi-fi headsets turned up loud, even separate bedrooms, each with a personal telephone, TV, and turntable, private toilet, and an it’s none-of-your-business attitude. No hassle … no conflict … no accountability. No need to share. Or reach out. Or give a rip. Just watch the numbers and look at nobody.
Enter the loving believer—he who weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice. George Fox, the great Quaker, recorded this prayer in his diary:
I prayed to God that He would baptize my heart into all conditions so I might be able to enter the needs and conditions of all. 1
Application
- The best thing you can do for a friend who is hurting is to be consistently near, but without a solution, just you, available to experience the pain with them.
- The best thing you can do for a friend who just accomplished a victory is to rejoice with them!
Prayer
Lord, make me into a person that can help in any situation, to anyone.
1. Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
