Rejoice with others

~Friday for Friends~

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12:15 (NIV)

I think most people would agree that a friend should be understanding in times of trouble. It's important to us that when we feel down there's someone to hold out a hand.

But there's another aspect of being friends, which can, at times, seem much harder to do.

Rejoicing. However absurd it might sound at first, when we dig deep it IS pretty hard to rejoice at times. Your friend blissfully shares about his trip to Egypt while you recount the days you spent sitting in front of a TV. He gets an "A" in a test you know you studied harder for. She wins that contest that you secretly hoped to place in.

Yes, it's hard sometimes to rejoice when others seem to get it much easier than you do. But it's worth it. Smile and say it's awesome she had such a good time. Give a high five when he gets that "A". And maybe later come up and share how you're feeling.

As friends, you can share both the joys and the pains.

How about you? When was a time you found it hard to rejoice? How did the situation go?