Rejoice with me?

“Rejoice with me…” Don’t you just love those words?

I had lunch Sunday with some very dear friends. Near the end of the time together one of the ladies in the group said, “You know, not everyone wants Spring Meadows to succeed. Not everyone is as excited about what is happening there as you are.” She wasn’t being mean at all and she shares my love for this congregation, big time, but it cut me to the core. I don’t think I ever had even considered that and it is challenging but I suppose I can imagine how that would be. OK, no I can’t. I can’t imagine why any fellow Christian would be anything but excited over the growth of, energy in, attractiveness to and joy within a congregation of the Lord’s People.

Listen, I rejoice at every good thing I hear. I crave hearing good news from members of God’s Family and am so thankful there is so much good to hear in so many places. While it’s a blessing to be a part of Spring Meadows and what the Lord is doing here I blush a little in telling about it for I don’t want anyone to think for a moment that we are boasting or that any of us think this growth is “of us”. In fact, I sometimes find myself making excuses for our growth: “Well, we are in a real growing area…”, “...you know we are new and there is a lot of excitement associated with it being new…”, “...well, the demographics of our area lead to easier outreach…” And today I suppose I’m wondering why? Why would I excuse the work of God? Why do I feel like I need to explain it away in some way? I suppose it is because I don’t want people to think I’m “in their face” with it. Like some 3rd grader “na-na-na-na-na-nah, look how God is blessing us.” The truth is I want every congregation to be good and be blessed and do good and you’d find it hard to find someone who rejoices more with a church that is experiencing good things than do I. I have always done that and am committed to it today. In fact, I ALWAYS believe there is something good at every place and try to find it. I think that is Biblical (see 1 Corinthians 13:7, the concept seems to be that love always believes the best, isn’t suspicious and hopes for the best in every setting). Sometimes the suspicion (i.e. “if they are growing they must be doing something wrong” - how totally backward that thinking is to N.T. thinking) and watchdoggery in small but very vocal segments of our great brotherhood is sickening to me (and I know what God thinks about it c.f. 1 Peter 2:17; John 13:35; 1 John 3:18).

Listen, I want every one of the congregations of the Lord’s church to flourish, blossom, overflow, do well, do better, ignite, take off! And I never want us to do well at another’s expense. When I hear my friend Jonathan Jones at Spring Hill talk about what is happening there, it gets my blood pumping! I rejoice with him in every, even small success and have enjoyed that he does the same with me.

When I hear that a church is hurting, bleeding members, mistreating people, falling apart, it tears my heart out. I don’t want to profit for even a moment at their pain. That would be and is ungodly.

I try not to be Pollyanna in my outlook. I do see bad. I don’t brush our weaknesses and areas where we need to be stronger under the carpet (ask the folks who hear me preach, I hit them head on), but I am going to put my focus on the good! I invite you to join me on the mission of encouraging daily, of not letting “any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).

Thank God for the good stuff. And if I have not rejoiced in the good, productive, godly work of brothers I am ashamed.

Was, that a rant? I think it may have been. What are your thoughts?