Scripture of the Day
"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." — Romans 12:15 NIV
Reflection
When Barnabas arrived in Antioch (see Acts 11) and saw what the grace of God had done, Scripture makes a simple, beautiful observation: he was glad.
He didn't arrive with a critical spirit. He didn't immediately catalog everything that needed correction. He saw God moving in ways nobody had organized or planned — in people who were different from him, through methods that were untraditional, across cultural lines that had long divided the ancient world — and his response was joy.
That gladness was itself evidence of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is joy. And genuine joy in the work of God in other people's lives — especially unexpected people, different people — is not natural. That kind of joy is supernatural.
How do you react when God does something wonderful in someone else's life? In a church different from yours? Through a method you didn't suggest? In a person you had almost given up on?
Gladness is a spiritual discipline. It requires us to release our preferences and celebrate what God is celebrating.
Question for Personal Reflection
Is there a place in your life where you have been skeptical or critical rather than glad about what God is doing? What would it look like to choose rejoicing instead?
Action Step
Today, when you see something good happen for someone else — a blessing, a breakthrough, an answered prayer — celebrate it out loud. Tell them you are genuinely glad. Practice rejoicing with those who rejoice.
Prayer
Lord, deliver me from a critical spirit. Deliver me from the subtle jealousy that masquerades as discernment. Teach me to be genuinely glad when I see Your grace at work — in anyone, anywhere, in any way. Let Your joy be my strength today. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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