Instructions for Interactions - Be Empathetic, Be Humble (Daily Devotional)

Hello and welcome to Living Supernaturally. We are so glad that you could be here and we can look into God’s word. God’s word is amazing, it is inspired, God breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit for correction, teaching, empowering us and equipping us to be who God wants us to be. So, today, we are looking at God’s instructions for interpersonal interaction. We are looking at Romans chapter 12, verses 15 and 16, it says, ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.’ Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. What does that mean? That means to share in others joy and grief or sorrow. In other words, it means to empathize with others, to share in others joy. When they are going through a moment or a season of rejoicing, maybe it is an event that causes rejoicing, a celebration, a promotion, a progress, something new, some breakthrough that has happened and a cause for celebration and thanksgiving. It says, rejoice in others joy. As they are rejoicing, empathize and be there and rejoice also. It also says, weep with those who weep. When things are tough, people are going through a valley, things are low and lacking, weep with those who weep. Empathize and be part of their lives and share in their grief. God’s instruction is get involved, participate and journey in others’ lives. This is not for everyone we meet but those with those whom we are in fellowship, participating and doing life with. But this is what we are called to do which means we cannot build a wall around ourselves and isolate ourselves. How can we rejoice with those who rejoice, how can we weep with those who weep if we isolate, alienate or distance ourselves? What God is instructing us is to participate, get involved and engage in. It is scary at times and sometimes we need to make ourselves vulnerable and available but God is inviting us to do that. The second part of it, be of the same mind which means get along with others, make an effort to understand others viewpoints. It says, to understand a person is to walk a mile in the other persons shoes. It might be uncomfortable, irritating, but walk a mile in that shoe to understand the other person. Lastly it says, do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble and do not be wise in your own opinion. Be humble, associate, be part of others’ lives and don’t overestimate yourself. Have a realistic opinion, evaluating and assessment upon self. Maybe we could be highly skilled, have some special talent and abilities and so on which others may not have but in comparison, do not isolate yourself, do not be proud but be humble and associate with others. Shall we pray? Father, we thank you for your word and the invitation to participate, engage and fellowship with others so that we can rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. We thank you for asking us to be humble, to associate with others and not to have an overestimation of ourselves but to be humble. Spirit of God, enable us to live this out, in Jesus’ matchless name we pray, Amen.

Thank you for tuning in to Living Supernaturally, for more resources to strengthen your spiritual walk, please visit apcwo.org.