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REJOICING AND WEEPING
'Rejoice with those who rejoice...' Romans 12:15
Paul writes, 'Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.' The second part is easy enough. When your near-perfect best mate has been dumped by the local Romeo or Juliet, it's easy enough to offer a few consoling words. But the first part, 'Rejoice with those who rejoice...' well, that's a different scenario altogether. It's harder to feel happy with them when they get things we wanted.
When they go out with the girl or boy we had our hopes on, score higher than us on a test paper, or succeed in a way that we can't, it becomes tricky to hold to these words from the Bible. Envy tries every trick in the book to stop you being happy for others. We compare ourselves to others and wonder why God isn't cutting us a break too. Instead of playing the 'poor me' card, why not do as Paul suggests?
Maybe today is not your day to be super-blessed. Such is life. But it will come, and wouldn't you want others to be happy for you, when that day comes for you? So do the same for them, and 'rejoice with those who rejoice...'
What now? It's amazing how much better you can feel when you are simply happy with someone who has been blessed, thinking about them and not yourself. Try it!
written by Bob Gass
'Rejoice with those who rejoice...' Romans 12:15
Paul writes, 'Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.' The second part is easy enough. When your near-perfect best mate has been dumped by the local Romeo or Juliet, it's easy enough to offer a few consoling words. But the first part, 'Rejoice with those who rejoice...' well, that's a different scenario altogether. It's harder to feel happy with them when they get things we wanted.
When they go out with the girl or boy we had our hopes on, score higher than us on a test paper, or succeed in a way that we can't, it becomes tricky to hold to these words from the Bible. Envy tries every trick in the book to stop you being happy for others. We compare ourselves to others and wonder why God isn't cutting us a break too. Instead of playing the 'poor me' card, why not do as Paul suggests?
Maybe today is not your day to be super-blessed. Such is life. But it will come, and wouldn't you want others to be happy for you, when that day comes for you? So do the same for them, and 'rejoice with those who rejoice...'
What now? It's amazing how much better you can feel when you are simply happy with someone who has been blessed, thinking about them and not yourself. Try it!
written by Bob Gass