Rejoice with those who Rejoice!

Today while at the office, my co-worker came to me and shared that she went with her friend's boyfriend today to pick up her friend's engagement ring. After her telling me this, I went on to ask how she felt, and her response was "I'm excited". Perhaps you're wondering why I asked her how she felt, but the reason I asked her is because she is single like myself, and we both have the desire to be married.

While it's a good thing to be happy for others, there are times that we find it hard to be genuinely happy for others when they've been given the very thing we've been praying for. But, the Bible instructs us to "rejoice with those who rejoice..." (Rom. 12:15). It’s not always easy to rejoice with those who rejoice, but this is a command that it is to be obeyed totally as any of the Ten Commandments are to be obeyed. However, there are those people who pretend to be happy, and are overwhelmed with feelings of anger, jealousy, and discontentment because good things happen to them instead of us. A friend may buy a new car, or a new house, or perhaps find a new job and makes more money...and all of a sudden human nature makes some think, "Why doesn't that happen to me?" A Christian might think, "Why doesn't God bless me like that?" Consider the story of Jacob and Laban in Genesis 31 where Jacob becomes wealthier than Laban, and Laban and his sons get jealous of Jacob's blessings. On one hand, this shouldn't be a surprise; people are inevitably jealous of those who have more than they have...but as believers, we are to run from jealousy for the reason that it is not a characteristic of a Christian. That said, when another person is blessed with something good, the spiritual response is to rejoice with them and be glad for God's blessings on their life. The carnal response is to wish you were in their place.

All I'm saying is, be happy with those who are happy! Whether it's the friend who aced their exams, the one who found out they are cancer-free, the family expecting a new baby, or the neighbour whose child received Christ. Rejoice! Not only that, but the scripture gives us a simple reason why we should rejoice and that is because everyday is a gift from God. Psalms 118:24 says "This is day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it".

Remember, when you're not happy when good things happen to others, you keep those good things from happening to you. "To be happy for others is not just a choice, it's a good choice...and more than that, it's a God choice." ....So, when was the last time you heard someone's good news and felt true joy for them?