Celebrating Others Victories

“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.” James 3:14-17

Our longings are often fixed upon a deeply inflated view of our own self-worth. The greatest egos notoriously struggle most intensely with envy and jealousy. Why? Because inevitably there will always be someone greater. Insecurities of being overlooked and a deep-rooted longing for what another has can quickly propel one into the realm of invidia.

I remember seeing Radiohead in concert in 1995, they were so amazing that I was depressed for a month because I could not accept that I would never be that good. I was unable to even enjoy the show, I could not celebrate their brilliance. How often are we like this as Christian’s? Scripture says God shows personal favoritism to no man and yet there seem to be stars that shine so much brighter than us.

Envy strikes our hearts in a way that robs us of contentment. We want to be one of the bright ones, one of the greats. Maybe our problem is we have redefined greatness to mean something different than what God means. Does Jesus not say that the greatest shall be the least? Envy is much more dangerous than just wanting what others have. It runs the risk of wishing for their collapse and thoughts of “If I cant have it neither should they.”

Love does not envy. It is not competitive. It celebrates other’s victories. Most importantly if we always want what others have maybe it is because we are not experiencing what only God can give. Envy kills relationships but kindness draws us out of ourselves and allows us to celebrate one another. May we be jealous only for God and His glory to be manifested in and through our lives, as we love one another.