Causing Others to Rejoice

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.” Psalm 119:74

Do people rejoice when they see us coming?Does it make them happy to get to spend time with us?

If so, why? If you’re like me, it might be because you carry chocolate at all times :) Hopefully, though, it’s something more meaningful than that. Maybe we always have a smile for others and freely share encouraging words. Or perhaps we’re good listeners. Think about yourself for a moment. Why do people rejoice when they see you?

On the other hand, if people don’t rejoice when they see us, why not? Could it be that we tend to have a negative attitude or are always criticizing others? Are they afraid we’ll slam them with a sarcastic remark or perhaps act coolly towards them?

None of us want to become a person that others dread interaction with or try to avoid. Instead I think we all hope to be someone that others are drawn to and want to be around. We all want to be liked.

The verse above from Psalm 119 holds one of the keys to being a source of joy for others. It tells us that if we put our hope in God, people may indeed rejoice when they see us.

This could be true for a variety of reasons. If we’re trusting in God and his Word, we may radiate a sense of peace and joy that naturally spills out onto others. We may have a reputation for honesty and dependability or inspire confidence and hope in others. We may have the wisdom of God’s Word stored up in our hearts, making us a welcome source of encouragement and advice.

I don’t know about you, but I want others to rejoice when they see me. And not just because of my chocolate :) No, I want others to see the love, the peace, the power, the wisdom, and the hope of God when they look at me. And the only way that can happen is to stay very close to him.

I bet you’d like others to see glimpses of the Lord in you as well. To be honest, we’ll fail at times, but that’s no reason not to try. Let’s surrender our hearts to him each day and let him fill us. Let’s cause others to rejoice when they see us coming!

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence ofour God because of you?” 1 Thessalonians 3:9

*What do you want others to see in you?

*Flickr photo by kelsey_lovefusionphoto

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Comments

  1. Seriously, Cheryl? Chocolate in your purse?? how do you keep it from melting? And I’d be happy to see you with or without the chocolate – can’t wait until we get to meet some day (here, there, or in the air).

  2. Jana, amazingly enough I don’t have trouble too often with the chocolate melting :) And I’m looking forward to meeting you someday, too — as you said, here there or in the air! Love that! :)

  3. I always try to have a smile or a nice word to say to someone. I have people tell me a lot that they always like seeing me because I am always so happy and have something kind to say. It always blesses me so much to hear that. I feel that you have the same qualities because I always look forward to coming to your blog and your posts are so uplifting!!

  4. Alicia, thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy your visits to my blog. What a blessing to hear! Your goal of always trying to have a smile or kind word for others is wonderful. A positive touch like that can change someone’s day, can’t it? Blessings to you!

  5. This is a great prompt, Cheryl, albeit a prodding one! I’m not sure what others see when they see me coming. Very convicting. A lot of negativity has crept into my spirit in these past months, and it must be rooted out. I don’t want to be the one woman at church that others are running into the bathroom to avoid;)!

    peace~elaine

  6. Elaine, I can’t imagine that people would run to avoid you! :) God bless as you work on the negativity issue. Take heart, though — you are a blessing to many!!

  7. I laughed when you said you always have chocolate in your purse. When I was a little girl my great aunt always carried chocolate in her purse too. Whenever she visited I would always ask her, “Anything in the magic bag?” She never failed me. Thanks Cheryl, for kindling a lovely memory today.

  8. Cheryl, I loved your post and it is so true. I hope that in the future I can cause people to rejoice. Sometimes I am guilty of being negative around others and I never really thought about it like that before. I like your suggestion about keeping scripture in our hearts so we can encourage others. Thank you for the uplifting message. :)

  9. Oh, Mairead, I love that my chocolate silliness brought back a sweet (in more ways than one!) memory for you. Thanks for sharing!

    Rachel, so good to hear from you! Thanks for dropping by. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and found something helpful in it. Hope your writing is going well. May God continue to lead and guide!

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