Learn To Celebrate Other People’s Victories

One of the most important things I’ve learned is to celebrate other people’s victories. If your co-worker gets the promotion you wanted, yes, there is a tendency to be jealous. Sure, there’s a tendency to think, “Why didn’t that happen to me? I work hard. That’s not fair”. However, if we’ll keep the right attitude and be happy for other people’s success, at the right time God will open up something even better for us.

I’ve found that if I can’t rejoice with others, I’m not going to get to where I want to be happy. Many times, God has a promotion in store, but first He sends along with a test. He wants to see if we’re ready. When our best friends get married, while we’re still single, can we be happy for them? Or when our relatives move into their dream house and we’ve been praying for years to own a home but are still renting a crowded apartment, can we be happy for them?. That’s a test.

If you get jealous and critical, your attitude will trap you right where you are. Learn to celebrate other people’s victories: Let their success inspire you. The secrets of champions are in their stories, listen to their story. I’m certain there is a vital lesson you can learn from. Know that if God did something so marvellous for them. He can certainly do it for you. If you are going to become better, you will need to know how to deal with critics, people who are talking about you, judging you, or maybe even making false accusations.

In Old Testament times, these people were called “slingers”. When an enemy attacked a city, their first priority was to pry the stones off the wall that was protecting that city. They would then sling those stones into the city’s wells. The attackers knew if they could clog the wells with stones and interrupt the flow of water, eventually, the people within the walls would have to come out. Do you see the parallel? You have a well of good things on the inside, a well of joy, peace, and victory. Too often, we let the slingers clog up our wells.

Perhaps somebody speaks derogatorily about you, but instead of letting it go, you dwell on it, growing more and more upset. Before long, you think, I’m going to pay them back. They are speaking untruths about me; let me tell you what I know about them. Instead, make it a priority to keep your well pure. If somebody is critical of you, trying to show you in a bad light, recognize that is a stone coming your way. If you dwell on it or get upset and revengeful, the person who threw that stone has accomplished his or her goal. Another stone has landed in your well. Now your joy, peace and victory become more restricted. They don’t flow like they should.

Friends, truth is we all have some slingers in our lives, people who try to bring us down with their words or actions. They may be a friend to your face, but you know behind your back, they would shred you if given an opportunity. The way you overcome unwarranted criticism is by not allowing yourself to take revenge or even harbouring an attitude that wants revenge. Don’t sink down to their level and start talking badly about them.

Most of all don’t get defensive or try to prove that you are right and your critic is wrong. Sometimes, when you leave the workplace, you simply have to shake it off. People backbiting, your promotion denied, your friends now foes and playing politics, trying to bring you down, leave it; don’t lug that heavy, worthless load home. Shake it off. Sometimes even leaving a relatives’ house, you may have to say, “I’m shaking this off. I’m not going to drink their poison”.

“I heard one of my colleagues is talking about me,” Dele said. “I am not going to take that. I’m going to give them fire for fire. I’m not going to let them get away with it”. “You could do that,” I told him, “but that’s not the way to win. You have to get to the top to be a topic; it’s a clear indication that you’re on your way to the top, if not already there. Let God be your vindicator. If you’ll stay on the high road, God will fight your battles for you. Not every battle is meant for you. You will never rise nor win if you keep engaging in every battle. Rise above that.

When somebody is critical and denies you what you truly deserve, your attitude should be, “I’m better than that.  I’m not going to let their stones clog up my well.  I’m not going to let their jealous spirits poison my life. I’m going to stay full of joy”. Perhaps you have not been shaking things off in your life, and recently you have let the slingers get the best of you, thereby stopping you from celebrating other people’s victories, it’s time to clear out the rocks and keep your inner well fresh and clean.

Keep your eyes on the prize; stay focused on your goals and do what you believe God wants you to do. Be kind and loving, but don’t spend too much time trying to please somebody who is impossible to please. Until they deal with their own issues on the inside, they’re not going to be happy. Be happy and learn to celebrate with other people.

Blessings and Love

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