Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
We have two hands that help us run operations in our lives, yet there are times we wished we had more hands to enable us work faster and better. Such is life around us; events in our lives or in the lives of those around us sometimes require more than two hands to handle.
When people rejoice over victory in their lives, we may think they don’t need any helping hand. The bible teaches us to be there for these people at such times as they rejoice, sharing the weight of their joy and the demands of their celebrations. Sharing your joy with someone can be very fulfilling, knowing that the person was there to hear all the excited ranting and join in the singing and dancing. Lend your hand to someone who is rejoicing not by leaving a quick comment of congratulation but by establishing your impact in the person’s joy in a way that leaves an indelible memory. Easy as this sounds it takes maturity in a person to share another’s joy, as emotions of jealousy, personal loss and defeat could cloud one’s judgment. It is encouraging to know that lending a hand in such a season is the will of God for His Children and characterizes Christian maturity.
Season’s of loss or grief can be very unbearable for a person. Most people want to recoil and stay away from the rest of the world, hoping they would wake up one morning and find it was all a dream. These are times when two hands are most insufficient. These are times when an extra hand is most needed. Children of God are encouraged to give pillars of support to one another during these times, which could happen to anybody. Signing a condolence register or sending a word across may not suffice. It is the support that makes an impact that counts. We can ‘give a hand’ to grieving friends and family by understanding their sorrow and not expecting them to ‘get over it’ overnight. We can be quiet, listen and pray for God’s help. Most often than not, we would find opportunities to help lighten the burden without carrying the load to our shoulders. Only God can lift the burden’s of life at the foot of the Cross of Calvary. I pray the Spirit of God to open our eyes to see around us opportunities to rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep.
Prayer: God of love and compassion, please fill my heart with your qualities. Condition my heart to love and have compassion for others in their times of joy or weeping. Fill me with wisdom to see how I can make a real impact in the circumstances of others, even though I get no credit for it let your good name be glorified. Teach me your ways, blessed Holy Spirit I pray.
One-Year Daily Bible Reading Plan - Sep 11 2010 - Ezekiel 43-46 (OT), 2 Timothy 3 (NT).
