Love Has No Charge

“Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).  
 
There’s a fine science behind how geese fly in their V-formation. We’ve all seen geese soar across the sky, and nearly the whole time, they are talking to one another. They make those strange honking sounds, and you might wonder what it is they’re saying.  
They’re encouraging one another.  
What does that mean?

Geese travel in that V-formation to migrate, and while they fly, they honk at each other to let the others know they are still there. They also trade the leading position, rotating as they fly so that no one goose has to lead the flock the whole way. If one goose falls out of the formation, two other geese will fall out to join it so that the one won’t be alone. These geese might travel 3000 miles during migration, and they can only do this because the V-formation changes the air current, allowing them to travel farther together than they ever could alone.  

When one is tired, another takes over. When one falls behind, two others fall behind to protect it.  

When the Word tells us to weep with those who weep, we are to show compassion. This means we show up in another’s sorrow and help bear the burden. We are told to bear one another’s burdens, not just when we feel like it, but whenever someone needs help carrying the weight. You might think that you don’t have the strength to help them carry it, but your strength is not your own.  

It costs nothing to show compassion. It costs nothing to love. But the gift of you showing that you care is often the most special thing you could do for anyone.  

Be the one who runs towards the fire instead of running away. Be the one who goes back for the one who got left behind. Get in the trenches and hold tight—pray with them, struggle with them. This kind of love was never meant to be easy, but when we finally decide that doing nothing is not an option, then we will see victory. And when they come out of their season that beat them black and blue, they’ll find strength in knowing that you didn’t give up and run. This is how we build resilient warriors for God.