September 26, 2026
Paul calls believers to sincere love, practical care, hospitality, humility, and a willingness to share both the joy and the sorrow of others.
Devotional
Sometimes it’s easier to sit with someone in sorrow than to celebrate when their life is going well. Their good news may touch the very place where we’re hurting. They receive the opportunity we wanted, the answer we’re still praying for, or the fresh start we aren’t sure will ever come for us.
Paul’s invitation to rejoice with others reaches into that uncomfortable place. He isn’t asking us to deny our own grief or pretend that disappointment has disappeared. He’s teaching us a way of loving that leaves room for another person’s happiness, even when our own story is still difficult.
That love can begin with an honest, small response. We can send the congratulatory message. We can listen without bringing the conversation back to what we lack. We can thank God that something good has happened to someone we care about. Our feelings may need time to catch up, but a sincere act of goodwill gives us a place to begin.
Throughout this week, we’ve considered the generosity that challenges our scorekeeping. The invitation now is to let that truth shape an ordinary relationship. God’s grace is doing more than teaching us a better idea about fairness. Through the Spirit, He is forming people who can share a neighbor’s joy without fearing that it leaves less room for their own.
Your unanswered prayer still matters. Your neighbor’s good news matters, too. You can bring both before God and trust that His love is large enough to hold them together.
Action
Reach out to someone who has recently received good news. Offer a sincere word of celebration, then bring any disappointment it stirs in you honestly to God.
Prayer
Loving God, help me make room for another person’s joy without hiding my own needs from You. When their good news touches a tender place in me, meet me there with kindness. Teach me to offer sincere encouragement and to resist turning every blessing into a comparison. Thank You that You haven’t forgotten my prayers. Form in me a love that can celebrate, grieve, listen, and remain faithful beside my neighbors. Let Your generous grace shape my relationships. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Your neighbor’s joy and your own unmet need can both be held in God’s love.
Can we celebrate someone else’s good news while carrying disappointment of our own? Romans 12:9–16 closes the week with an invitation to sincere love. God has room for our unanswered prayers and our neighbor’s happiness.
