It seemed, no matter how much progress they made, something always came up to throw a curveball at the light of success that they had managed to spot at the end of the tunnel. And then the darkness engulfed. Again. Round and round this same loop, year after year. Just when it seemed to get easy and they were feeling comfortable, something happened again to knock them back.
And during their struggles, they watched their friends and family succeed, get houses they want, get new cars, plan vacations, long trips, purchase things for their home, do well as a couple, always look good in photos, etc...I'm sure you understand.
So how, in the midst of struggle, do you celebrate those successes for other people?
The words are simple:
By the Grace of God
But the action is so difficult. Keeping your heart from bitterness and resentment and remembering that you do not know what's going on on the other side of their success is a large part of it.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13 NIV
The enemy longs to drive disention, discontentment, resentment, hurt, anger, and other negative thoughts and emotions, we must war against those thoughts and feelings with Truth.
The armor of God, the Helmet of Salvation - you have been saved and redeemed through the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father and the gift of the blood of Jesus.
The Sword of the Spirit - we can fight negative feelings, emotions, and reactions with the truths we know in Scripture!
The Breastplate of Righteousness - righteousness in large part is a heart deal. You can do all the right things and still be unrighteous due to your heart attitude. Living righteously requires living by the spirit over the wants/desires/urgings of our flesh and of this world.
The Belt of Truth - knowing the Scripture is so important, impressing it upon your heart helps to protect you from the negative feelings, thoughts and emotions that you battle daily.
The Shield of Faith - knowing that beyond our struggles is a reward for enduring well. Celebrating with your friends/neighbors/family/coworkers when they have successes, knowing that their story is not your story.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:18-20
Being prayerful in emotional situations is a must in order to sufficiently navigate beyond the hurt that comes into celebrating for someone else when you are struggling.
Something that always helps me and that I've had to grow into is remembering that everyone's story is unique, written for that particular person or couple and you never know what the future brings for you. You can rest assured that your faithfulness through your own struggle will be rewarded. We don't know what awaits us beyond right now.
Great encouragement for being happy for others instead of jealous!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jenna! I'm glad you enjoyed this post. :)
DeleteThis is one of our household's favorite verses. I've learned that being for happy for someone else success actually helps redirect the negative feelings I have about my own. It's definitely not easy, but with God we can do all things.
ReplyDeleteIt helps so much, you're so right!!! Hallelujah we have a powerful God!!! <3 Thanks for stopping by today, Ayanna!!!
DeleteGod is good. It's so important to lean on the strength we have in Him.
ReplyDelete