Let Someone Else Have a Happy Day
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Romans 12:15 KJV
When a friend wins something you wanted, rejoicing can be difficult. You may say congratulations while quietly searching for a reason the result was unfair. Paul's command reaches into that uncomfortable part of the heart.
We are to rejoice with those who rejoice. Another person's good news does not remove God's care for us. We can be thankful for a friend's opportunity without pretending that our own disappointment is absent.
Speak a sincere congratulations before discussing your frustration somewhere appropriate. Ask about the good news and listen to the answer. The same passage calls us to share sorrow, so friendship has room for both kinds of day. You will not always be the person receiving the applause or the comfort. Christian love learns to stand beside someone else without moving every conversation back to itself.
Bring the truth into your day
Joining another person's joy means refusing to make the moment about what you did not receive. Sharing sorrow means listening without rushing to make the sadness disappear. Offer congratulations sincerely. When someone is hurting, give attention and ask a trusted adult how to help if needed. Paul teaches believers a generous way of being together, with room for experiences different from our own.
Keep the passage in context
Paul instructs believers to share one another's joys and sorrows. The verse calls for compassionate fellowship, not an explanation that solves every circumstance.
Read further: Romans 12 in the King James Bible.