Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 12-13
Meditation Verses: 12:25-26
Thought
The members of a church body are supposed to have the same care for one another, regardless of position or supposed importance. And when one member suffers, all should suffer with them. When one member is honored, all members should rejoice with them. It shouldn't matter whether the person serves in an obvious capacity or a hidden capacity, or if they serve at all. This requires the kind of love that Paul describes in the next chapter, one that is not jealous and does not brag and is not arrogant. Even in a family, it is easy to get jealous of another member's success, and it is hard not to share and celebrate your success! Love sets aside itself and looks to the good of others. The goal is to value every individual, to care richly for each one, and rejoice in every success, just as surely as we share in each other's pain. We are to be one body, united, not many members jockeying for position and recognition.
Application
Sharing a success does not automatically mean someone is bragging. They may just be overcome with excitement. They want others to celebrate with them. They're not necessarily trying to show how much better they are and how much worse others are. It is easy to see everything as a competition and rivalry, but that's not automatically the case. Love doesn't assume the worst, so neither should I. When someone in my family or fellowship is honored, I should rejoice with them rather than assume they're just seeking attention, to promote themselves above everyone else. When I'm honored, I likewise need to be careful that I share that not to exalt myself and put others down, but just in simple excitement.