Today’s Bible Story: Come Rain or Come Shine (Be Joyful with Others) • Romans 12:15 (Supporting: Acts 2:42-47)
Monthly Memory Verse: Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful! Philippians 4:4 (NIrV)
When Paul wrote those words to the people in Rome, he was encouraging them to use their imaginations to put themselves in someone else’s place. Why is this important? Why should Christians feel what others feel? Well, when you take time to understand the feelings of others, it’s a way to love them and show you care. After all, isn’t that what you want? We want someone else understand what you’re going through when life stinks? The more we can empathize with others, the more we’ll be able to show people God’s love.
For many, empathy doesn’t come easily. If someone is mad, we want to leave the situation or tell them to get over it without trying to understand. We’re not very patient sometimes. If someone is crying, we will watch them in their sadness and pat them on the back, but sometimes, we walk away. To sit with someone in their emotions takes time and understanding. Empathy is a skill we can learn. Practice celebrating when you know a friend is excited. Work on listening and being present when they’re sad. When we sit with others in their emotions, we can actually help them find joy—even if it’s not right away.
And keep in mind, we don’t have to do this alone. Every difficult situation is an opportunity to turn to God and ask for God’s help! To do this, ask God to help give you the discernment, or understanding, to see the emotions of others. We can even ask God to help our friends find joy when it seems to be gone.
You know what’s great? We don’t have to wait for tomorrow to put this into practice! We can start today. We can pay attention. We can listen. We can be ready to stand or sit with a friend or family member—even if it’s hard or difficult. When someone cries over an argument or is upset over a sports injury, God can use us to help someone else find joy!
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