754 Be Emotionally Intelligent - Romans 12:15

Do you consider yourself emotionally intelligent? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One Podcast. This is a daily podcast that we do five days a week, like a work week. So we can challenge ourselves as marketplace Christians going into the marketplace and making a difference for Christ.

Each of us are called to our daily jobs and our daily lives as ministers, as people who help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And we've been talking through a little series in the last few episodes about interactions with others. And I confess that I was struck when I read this verse because it's talking about emotional intelligence. And we're being challenged in the Bible to be emotionally intelligent.

Romans 12:15, and I'm reading from the English Standard Version, "Rejoice with those who rejoice weep with those who weep." This is a challenge to be emotionally intelligent. In fact,  the beginning of verse 16 says "Live in harmony with one another." 

So we're being guided here by the apostle Paul; we're being instructed to rejoice with people who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. This isn't really a command to go with the flow. We're not supposed to be dragged about by our culture and the people around us. But we're being challenged to be sensitive to the people around us. 

If the people around us are rejoicing, then let's not be weepers; let's not be the downers. And if the people around us are down, if they're sad or weeping or dealing with difficulty, let's be sensitive to that. Let's join them in their emotional state. Let's be emotionally sensitive to the people around us because it's a blessing to them. We live in harmony with them when we can make sure that we're sensitive to their emotions. We live in harmony with them by rejoicing, with those who rejoice and by weeping with those who weep. 

We're not called to go along with everything that happens and everything that goes on in our world. That's not the point. The point here is just to be sensitive to the people around us. 

So today I want to hear this as a command to myself. I want to be sensitive to the people around me. I want to notice if they're discouraged or disappointed or if they're suffering or if they're weeping. If they're sad, then I want to be sensitive to that. I don't want to just live my life, not paying any attention to the people around me. This command is telling us let's pay attention to the people around us.

So today, that's my challenge for me, and for you. Let's pay attention to the people that we interact with. Are they rejoicing? Then let's find something to rejoice about with them. And if they're weeping, then let's weep with them. Let's share their sadness. Let's carry their burdens, as it says, in Galatians chapter six. We're to bear others burdens. Let's do what we can to be sensitive to the people around us, and exercise and practice this command for emotional intelligence from scripture. 

Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for considering how to take your faith into the workplace, every day .We each have a job as Christians to live like we believe this stuff. 

So let's live like we follow Jesus. Let's obey his word today. Here, the command is very clear. Let's pay attention to the people around us and be sensitive to their situation. We can rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who we trusting that God will take care of us because we're his children, and we follow him. Our sins have been paid for. Let's go today and make a difference in lives of the people that we work with.

Thank you very much for sharing this podcast. Take a moment and share it with a friend, or if you get a chance, go join us in the online community that sponsors this podcast. That community's called Follower of One. You can join us there by going to https://community.followerofone.org and just requesting to join. It's a free membership and a way to hang out with some people from all around the globe who are trying to live their faith every day. 

Thanks very much.