Ridgecrest Baptist Church
5260 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36116
"Helping people say yes to Christ by loving God, meeting needs, building relationships, and equipping believers."
Senior Adults Information
Thursday,
January 15
Young at Heart Program, 10:00 a.m.
Family Life Center
Marlene Eidsnoe as Corrie ten Boom
Thursday,
January 22
Game Day and lunch at Martha's
| Each of our monthly Senior Adult meetings (Young at Heart) features a brief devotional by one of the members. Tyson Thompson, a retired teacher from Sidney Lanier, shared the following thoughts in our October meeting. |
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REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE…. ROMANS 12:15
How many times have you seen someone who is glad of something and when they tell us we must do one better? Such as when trying to raise money for a good cause such as a mission trip, one person will be so proud of the $50 raised until another person says, “that’s nothing, I raised $100.”
I like to travel and do so with different groups. Most times it is not where we are going that makes me want to go but it’s just fun to be with these groups. Many times have I heard someone who has enjoyed a trip tell someone just to have that person dampen their spirits and take away their joy by saying, “I have been there.” And then proceed to tell of other places they enjoyed so much more, especially if they know the other person has not been to those places. When I was a teacher at Lanier High School back in the 70s, I took students to Europe for a month in the summer time. I remember visiting an aunt of mine who probably had never been out of Alabama. I guess she had heard that I had been over seas and she asked if I had been to Rome and I said yes then she asked if I had been to Paris, then London. She covered most places I had been with little comment. Then she asked if I had been to the Holy Lands and I said, “No.” She looked up and said something like, “Now that’s where I would like to go. If I were going over seas it would be where Jesus walked.” If I had been a sensitive person it could have taken away my joy for she was certainly not rejoicing with me. But knowing her, I just smiled and said that I wanted to go there, too. And I’m glad to say that I have been able to go visit Israel two or three times. She was also the wife of my uncle who, when I was visiting him one day, asked, “Tyson, have you gotten a job yet or are you still teaching?” I just said, “I’m still teaching.” It is as if we want the envy of our friends at the expense of their happiness and joy. The Bible says to rejoice with those who rejoice.
In school do you ever remember a student who usually made average or below grades, and one day he makes an A and he is so happy. He tells his friend, “I made an A. I made an A” He is so excited. Then his friend says, “That’s nothing I made an A+.” All of a sudden his joy is lessened. The friend did not rejoice with the one who was rejoicing. Why couldn’t the friend have said, “That’s great, you have every reason to be celebrating.”
When you see someone who is happy and rejoicing, I believe the scriptures are telling us to build up that joy, say something that will increase the joy, instead of saying something that will make their situation seem less joyful because we have done something better. You don’t always have to talk about what you have done. Let it be their moment. Barkley in his Daily Study Bible Series says, “It is only when self is dead that we can take as much joy in the success of others as in our own.”
I was in Worthy Seal’s Sunday School Class for several years. I remember a story of his son, Randy and his wife talking with another couple about interest on a car loan. I really don’t remember the names and interest rates, so let’s call him Billy. Billy was so pleased that his rate of interest was 6% and Randy said that sounded like a good rate. Later after the couple had left, Randy’s wife asked what rate they were paying and Randy said, “5.5%.” “That’s better than what Billy is paying. Why didn’t you tell him our rate was better?” she asked. Randy said, “Billy thought he had a good rate and it is a good rate and there was no reason to tell him my rate was better just to take away the good feeling and satisfaction he had.” Randy rejoiced with Billy who was rejoicing.
In Edward R. Sill’s poem, “The Fool’s Prayer,” which I have read to you before, has one verse that has meaning on this subject. He writes;
“The ill-timed truth we might have kept- Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung? The word we had not sense to say- Who knows how grandly it had rung?”
Randy’s actions illustrated both of these statements. He held his tongue about the truth that his interest rate was better than Billy’s, which if he had said so would no doubt have strung Bill. But he did tell Billy that the rate he had was good rate.
You may remember the comic strip of Pogo. Pogo was a ‘possum. He said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Sometimes, I feel that we as members of Ridgecrest Baptist Church are our own worst enemies. It seems we spend more time talking about the people we are losing than about the people who are coming to Ridgecrest. Let’s rejoice for all the good things happening. Our Sunday School attendance is still good. We have Christian young people as is evidenced in those who participated in Frontliners, worked in Vacation Bible School, children’s music ministry, and other areas of service. Let us rejoice over the good things and build up Ridgecrest while at the same time building up Christ and His Kingdom. One way to build up Ridgecrest is by praying.
There is a saying that “we spend more time praying to keep people out of heaven than we do to keep people out of hell.” That is we spend more time praying for our Christian friends to get well and recover than we do for the lost. Of course, we should pray for our Christian friends who are sick, but when we pray for the lost and one lost soul is saved, remember the Bible says even the angels in heaven rejoice over the saving of one lost soul. This is a time when we can rejoice with the angels.
Mark Twain said, “Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry.”
The next time we see someone who is happy and rejoicing over some situation, let’s not step on that joy just to build ourselves up but let us build on that joy and by so doing, we can reinforce with one who is rejoicing. |
© Ridgecrest Baptist Church, 5260 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36116 Phone: (334) 277-0011
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Last updated December 24, 2008.