The Key To Rejoicing With Those Who Rejoice

“Rejoice with those who rejoice.”

Romans 12:15a (ESV)

 

I keep a few games at my house to entertain my niece when she visits. One game we enjoy playing outside is a little ball toss game. Each of us holds a “scoop” and we toss a little wiffle ball back and forth using the scoops.

My girl is a serious competitor and one summer day, her scoop and toss skills were on fire. She beat me. There was no letting her win involved. She legit beat me.

While I don’t enjoy losing, particularly to a then kindergartner, I was surprised to find myself unbothered by my defeat. Rather than a pat on the back and half-hearted well-done, I found myself wholeheartedly rejoicing with her in her victory. I felt a gladness for her in my inner being with complete disregard for my own outcome.

Ohhhh, so this is what it feels like to truly rejoice with those who rejoice, I thought.

I’ll be honest, this isn’t always my natural reaction to the good fortune of others. Sure, I can easily offer a smile and a congratulations, but on the inside, I may be tangled up in envy, bitterness, and insecurity crying out why not me God?

I want to be truly happy for others, especially in far greater moments than yard-game victories, but I’ve found no amount of “should-ing” myself can bring me to fully sharing the joy of another.

As I thought about what made that moment with my niece different, I realized that something else accompanied my joy. Love.

Her joy became my joy because I love her.

As I looked at Scripture, I noticed the instruction to “rejoice with those who rejoice” is tucked within a passage of Scripture about love in action. Just a few verses earlier, the Apostle Paul writes, “love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).

Rejoicing with others is predicated on love for others.

I recently read through the Gospels and one of the things that struck me afresh is how beautifully and selflessly Jesus loved people. I want to love people like Jesus, but I fall so very short. I’m learning that condemning myself for my moments of failure is not helpful. What is helpful is bringing it to Jesus, confessing where I feel hurt, envious, and irritated by people around me, and asking him to fill me with his love to help me love people like he does.

Rejoicing with others in their joy is a way to show love to others in a world so desperate for it.

Even in defeat, we can find joy that God’s magnificent workmanship is on display in the success, achievement, victory, or gifts of another, and we can give him glory and show them honor.