15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[d] Never be wise in your own sight.
Romans 12:15-16, ESV
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. There is really only one way for this to happen… within an intimate and trusting environment. Rejoicing and weeping cannot happen for strangers. There has to be a connection. There has to be some form of intimacy. This isn’t information that is shared second-hand, it is shared face-to-face. When a church body is doing verse 15, it’s a good sign that they are living as the church Jesus died to create.
One thing about family life that isn’t often talked about is commitment. It’s not talked about because it’s a ‘given’. If you’re in a family, you are committed to it, you’re a part of it for life. This is a characteristic we’ve gotten WAY off base with in today’s church. We often attend a church out of convenience or based on our needs. Maybe we attend because it’s the closest one to our house. Maybe we can carpool there. Maybe they offer a program that I really need. It could be that their kids ministry is the best in town. Perhaps their worship is in my favorite style. Convenience and needs cannot determine our church family. You know why? Because those are not constants. As soon as it’s not convenient anymore, or as soon as my needs change, then I’m out looking for a new church. That is SO backwards from the early church.
Family is about commitment! Being part of a church family moves past convenient-commitment; it requires a lasting-commitment. We rejoice together and we weep together… EVEN WHEN THE WEEPING IS OVER A FELLOW CHURCH MEMBER! (Been there, done that.) We laugh together, grow together, eat together and heal together. That is lasting-commitment! Church shouldn’t FEEL like family, church should BE family!