No One Should Weep Alone
By Rick Warren
“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15 (NLT)
If you’ve ever gone through a really tough time, you know how important it is to have someone wait and weep with you. That’s why God wants you to have the support of a church family—so you won’t be alone during inevitable times of crisis.
Nobody should ever have to wait in the hospital alone when a loved one is having a risky surgery. Nobody should have to wait alone for a lab report. Nobody should have to wait alone for news from a battlefield where their son, daughter, or spouse is serving. Nobody should stand alone in front of a new grave. Imagine the deep despair that comes with facing anything like this by yourself!
Tragic situations will happen in your life, and it’s wise to put a safety net into place now.
What is God’s safety net for you? It’s a group of believers who are committed to you and you to them.
Who is committed to you right now? Who would be by your side in an instant if you needed them, keeping you from despair? Or who can count on you to be there for them at a moment’s notice?
The Bible says, “You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other” (1 Peter 3:8 TLB).
My small group has helped me through very difficult times, and we’ve faced all kinds of trauma together. They’ve prayed for me, waited with me, and wept with me when I was scared to death. They’ve lived out Romans 12:15: “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (NLT).
Are you part of a small group, a group of committed people who will wait and weep with you? Don’t go through life without one, because community is God’s answer to despair.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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