Monthly Archives: September 2016

The Struggle of Rejoicing with Those Who Rejoice

rejoicing

Wedding invitations. Christmas card photos of smiling, intact families and lots of healthy grandchildren. Baby announcements. Shower invitations.

You may not think of opening your mail as a prime time for temptation, but it can be if your life has not panned out exactly the way you hoped it would. When confronted with all the evidence of others’ blessings, it can be hard to obey God’s command to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Rom. 12:15).

At face value, this should be an easy command to obey. Who doesn’t want to be happy for other people? But when year after year has brought disappointment after disappointment, bitterness is the natural reaction to another person’s joy. That’s why God gave us the command, because rejoicing in another person’s joy doesn’t always come to us naturally. It’s a step of obedience that must be taken by faith.

So how do we get from resentment to rejoicing with those who rejoice? Read the rest at Revive Our Hearts.