Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15
It was my 12th birthday and my mom’s 50th. (Yes, we share a birthday!) It was also my maternal grandmother’s funeral. It was a memorable day in many ways, but what I remember most is a double-decker, chocolate-frosted cake with my name on it.
In Romans 12, Paul delivers a compelling picture of what a true Christian looks like. He talks about our spiritual transformation (vv. 1-2), details how we should function as a body of believers (vv. 3-8), and then offers a very challenging list of characteristics for the individual (vv. 9-21). In this section are several verses on loving one another, and, in the midst of them, Paul tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” This is such practical advice for actively showing our love for others–to participate in what they are going through.
What does it look like to walk through good and bad times with one another?
Praying for and with one another is absolutely the most important aspect of doing life together. During times of rejoicing, we can praise God for the success and joy that our brother or sister is experiencing. We can thank Him for providing and caring for our family members. During times of suffering, we can pray in many general ways for our hurting friends, even without knowing details of the specific trial they’re undergoing. We can ask God to provide peace and calm during the storm. We can pray for relief or healing from whatever pain (physical or not) they’re experiencing. We can pray for endurance and strengthened faith during the trial. And we can thank God for being with them always and for His perfect plan even if we don’t understand it.
I think it is also important to consider how we can live out our love in a tangible way. We can’t always do something special for every person every time something comes up, but we should listen for God’s quiet tug on our hearts to show up in someone else’s life. I’ve experienced the tangible love of fellow believers many times, and it encouraged me.
I remember a coloring book and crayons dropped off for my son when he was in the hospital overnight getting IV fluids. During a difficult ministry season, friends dropped off flowers for my birthday. And on my 12th birthday, our pastor’s wife dropped off a cake for my mom and me–a double-decker, chocolate-frosted cake.
She knew it was our birthday and that we probably hadn’t had time to do anything special for it because of the funeral. The tangible love she showed us that day by rejoicing with us on our birthday and weeping with us in our loss spoke volumes to our whole family. It has stuck with me so much that my favorite thing to do for my kids on their birthdays is to make them a double-decker, chocolate-frosted cake with their name on it.
Every time I make one of those cakes, I am reminded of how one sister in Christ showed love to me. It’s also a renewed challenge for me to show love to the people in my life, whether it’s through baked goods, dropping off a meal, sending a thoughtful card, or something else. I encourage you to prayerfully consider how you can show up in someone else’s life this week.
