Devotion #5: Together
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15
Every Friday morning, I have the joy of studying God’s Word with a room full of incredible ladies. Our Growth Community has grown over the past few years and blossomed to be a wonderful group that loves to dig into God’s Word. We have also come to enjoy spending time together outside of our class. We share meals together, celebrate each other, sew together, shop together, and go to the movies together. We share our burdens and concerns and rejoice in the exciting and awesome things God is doing in our lives and in the hearts and lives of the ones we love. In other words, we have become friends, sisters in Christ who love and care for one another. When someone has a challenging circumstance, these ladies are there for each other! We have a couple of different text threads, and when there is a problem or a praise, the prayers get started, and messages of empathy or hope are shared to encourage and strengthen each other. I love being a part of this caring and praying group.
When we “rejoice with those who rejoice” and “weep with those who weep,” we fulfill the command to be of the same mind toward one another. Commentator David Guzik says, “It is a simple command to be considerate of the feelings of others instead of waiting for them to be considerate of your feelings.” Jesus showed us how to do this in the Gospels.
In John chapter 2, we see Jesus and His disciples sharing in the happiness and celebration of a wedding. When the wine ran out, Mary, the mother of Jesus, asked Him to help solve the problem for their friends. Jesus performed His first miracle and made wine from water. Of course, He made the very best wine that was served at the wedding.
If we continue in the book of John, we find the story of Jesus’ sick friend Lazarus. Although He knew that Lazarus would live again, Jesus wept when Lazarus died. He could not help but weep when He saw Lazarus’ sisters weeping and so distraught. Jesus loved His friends and was moved by their deep sadness.
Everyday life brings joys and sorrows. Galatians 6:2 (NET) says, “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The “Law of Christ” refers to the command that is given in John chapter 15 to love one another. This Law calls us as believers to follow the example of Jesus’ compassion. We should rejoice and weep with others. We can put this into practice just as Jesus did by supporting each other.
Is there someone that you can show the love of Jesus to through a call, card, a meal, or maybe just sitting to comfort them in their sorrow? In good times or challenging situations, rejoicing in the Lord is a powerful expression of our faith. Jesus left us so many examples in Scripture to remind us that it is in Him that we find our strength, our source of joy, and our salvation. He calls us to share that Good News with those around us.