How to Celebrate Others’ Success

Jesus wants us to celebrate others’ success in our careers. Using the example of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:8-18, we see how they responded to being praised as gods after performing miraculous healing. Instead of accepting the honor, they redirected the glory to God, recognizing that their success came from Him. From their example, we learn three important lessons: recognizing that success comes from God, rejoicing with those who succeed, and redirecting the glory to God. By embracing humility, gratitude, and love, we can genuinely celebrate others’ success and honor God in the process.

Imagine this scenario: you are working hard to achieve your goals and dreams, but you see someone else getting all the recognition and praise. They seem to have everything you want and more. They are admired, respected, and honored by everyone around them. How do you feel? Do you feel happy for them or do you feel jealous of them?

If you are like most people, you probably feel a mix of emotions. You may feel happy for them on one level, but also feel jealous, insecure, or resentful on another level. You may wonder why they have it so easy and you have it so hard. You may wish you were in their shoes or even wish they would fail.

But friends, this is not how Jesus wants us to live.

Jesus wants us to celebrate others’ success and not be envious of them.

Jesus wants us to rejoice with those who rejoice and not be bitter or spiteful. He wants us to be humble and not proud or arrogant.

This is exactly what Paul and Barnabas did in Acts 14:8-18.

The Acts 14:8-18 Story

They were in Lystra, a city where they preached the gospel and performed miraculous healing. A man who was lame from birth was healed by their faith and power. The people who saw this were amazed and thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods in human form. They called Paul Hermes and Barnabas Zeus, and they wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

Rejecting Honor and Giving Glory to God

But Paul and Barnabas did not accept this honor. They did not let it get to their heads or inflate their egos. They did not take credit for what God had done through them. They did not use this opportunity to gain fame or fortune. Instead, they tore their clothes and ran into the crowd, shouting:

“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.”

Acts 14:15

Lessons to Apply in Our Lives

They pointed the people to the true source of their success: God. They gave glory to God and not to themselves. They used their influence to spread the gospel and not to promote themselves.

What can we learn from this story? How can we apply it to our own lives? Here are some lessons we can draw from this example of celebrating others’ success:

Recognize that success comes from God (Psalm 75:6-7)

Paul and Barnabas knew that they were not the ones who healed the man, but God was. They knew that they were not the ones who deserved the praise, but God did. They knew that they were not the ones who had the power, but God did. We need to do the same. We need to acknowledge that every good thing we have comes from God and not from ourselves. We need to thank him for his gifts and talents he has given us and not boast about them.

Rejoice with those who succeed (Romans 12:15)

Paul and Barnabas did not envy or resent the man who was healed but rejoiced with him. They did not try to diminish or undermine his miracle but celebrated it. They did not ignore or avoid him but embraced him. We need to do the same. We need to be happy for those who achieve their goals and dreams and not be jealous of them. We need to congratulate them and encourage them and not criticize them or discourage them. We need to support them and help them and not compete with them or hinder them.

Redirect the glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Paul and Barnabas did not accept the glory that belonged to God but redirected it back to him. They did not let the people worship them but told them to worship God. They did not use their success for their own benefit but for God’s kingdom. We need to do the same. We need to give glory to God for our success and not take it for ourselves. We need to tell others about what God has done for us and not brag about what we have done for ourselves. We need to use our success for God’s purposes and not for our own agendas.

Embracing Humility, Gratitude, and Love

The story of Paul and Barnabas is a powerful reminder of how we should celebrate others’ success and our own success as well. It is a challenge for us to live with humility, gratitude, and love.

Living with Humility

So the next time you see someone be successful learn from Paul and Barnabas and praise Jesus for bringing these wonderful people into your life to remind you of how amazing our God is.