Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1 Corinthians 12:26

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I recently went out to dinner with a couple that I don’t know all that well. We met up, got seated, and exchanged typical pleasantries before the food arrived. We covered a lot of ground and connected on a lot of levels as we talked. Then, without warning, the conversation took a deep dive. We moved from headline topics to heavy heart issues. They revealed a combined truckload of personal challenges and areas of discouragement in this season of life and their surrounding community. It was honestly hard to hear, and I didn’t know what to say. I was also tired from a long day and wasn’t up for an impromptu counseling session. Rather than mentally check-out or call for the check, I listened, asked kind questions, and prayed for God’s empathy and wisdom in the moment.

As I drove home that night, I realized that this situation caught me off guard. I wasn’t surprised by their circumstance or their vulnerability, as I’ve faced similar issues. I was concerned that this was the third time in three days that a new acquaintance felt safe enough with me to cry as they held out their pain. And candidly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to take God’s love seriously, to stay present and serve suffering strangers. Am I so preoccupied with myself, my plans, my needs, my challenges, and my comfort to recognize that God really does love all people?

Romans 12 is radically practical for godly living and loving in community. By God’s design, humanity (and the church), we’re all interconnected. But loving all people can become overwhelming. The simplicity of Rom. 12:15 and 1 Cor. 12:26 recalibrates my heart regularly—rejoice and mourn with people. Meet them where they’re at and partner with the Holy Spirit to discern how to step in. If I need this reminder, I bet you do too: rejoicing and mourning with someone has little to do with fixing and everything to do with loving.

For God so loves all people. He doesn’t miraculously intervene in all circumstances, but that doesn’t change how He feels and acts toward every person. He asks the same of you and me. Love is serious business, and if we follow Jesus, we must ask ourselves regularly, “Am I taking God’s love seriously?”

Next Steps

Prepare yourself to be interrupted (possibly surprised) this weekend. Ask God to get your heart ready to rejoice or mourn with a stranger and choose in advance to love them however the Holy Spirit leads.