Rejoicing with Others

"We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests."
Psalm 20:5


King David, the man after God's own heart, wrote these words. He was a man who had faults. He fell into sin and suffered hardships because of it. But still he was a great man of character. No other Bible character has been given the respect David received. There are many stories about David. We have good insight into his life. But the Psalms he wrote give us insight into his character. Through the Psalms, we gain insight into why he would be called 'a man after God's own heart.'
     This is one of my favorite passages in the Psalms. David is declaring that he will rejoice with others who are rejoicing. This is an important part of the Christian life and David modeled it for us. The statement he made is absolutely genuine. No one made him write this, it was in his heart. He was saying that he and those around him would be genuinely excited for the one who would be victorious. They would rejoice with them and praise God because of the victory in their lives. I wonder if we feel the same way when we think of other Christians?
    When others gain victory, do we rejoice with them? Are we excited to see our brothers and sisters succeed, even though we may be struggling? Sometimes we look at the successes of others, and instead of rejoicing with them, we say things like: "Why doesn't that happen to me?" or "I wish I had what they do." These responses come from the old nature that has been defeated within us. These responses are the kinds of things that the world says. Jealousy and envy have no place among the people of God. Instead, like David we are to rejoice with others who are victorious. Our response will either be a fruit of the Spirit or a worldly jealousy.
    Since David was a man after God's heart, we ought to imitate him. We ought to respond in the same way he did. When others prosper, succeed, or gain a great victory, we ought to rejoice with them because they are sons and daughters of God, members of the same family. Our response is an indicator of our relationship with God. You see, if the Holy Spirit is living in us and we are cooperating with him, the fruit of the Spirit will be a normal part of our lives. We will respond with joy and kindness when others succeed. These responses are born out of a heart that genuinely loves and honors others. Whether they are friends, acquaintances or people you barely know, your response says more about you than you can imagine. Don't be distraught if you have responded negatively, simply ask God to give you a heart like David's and rejoice with those who are rejoicing.