Being Happy For Others’ Success When Your Luck Is Down

I wrote this article at a time when I was struggling to make it as a novelist, having no backup plan in mind. For that reason, I found it incredibly hard to rise above the ‘victim’ mentality. I needed something to keep me from falling into the dark hole of despair. That’s why I wrote this article.

This article was written from a Christian perspective, but it’s not intended only for an audience of Christians. Everyone, I’m sure, can relate to this and I hope this articles speaks to everyone, Christian or not.

As Christians we know that life on earth is only temporary. It is miniscule compared to the eternal life we will have with Christ in heaven. Yet, since we have one life to live we must make it count and we must make our lives in this world good. In a world that touts material wealth and outer appearance, it is easy to forget ourselves and get lost in our pursuit of wealth, happiness and satisfaction.

There is nothing wrong with having lots of money and there is certainly nothing wrong with success. God expects us to use our talents for His glory and for the greater good others. This rings as true to the society we live in as it did all throughout history.

What happens, though, when your efforts do not bring you the desired results? How do you react when a friend or colleague gets promoted or lands a lucrative book contract while you are still unemployed, unable to find the right person who will take a chance on you? Is it possible to glorify in the other person’s success when your luck is down?

It is easy to get so lost in our own frustration and anxiety when things do not go well in our lives that we cannot make the effort to care about others’ ups and downs. It can be especially hard to rejoice over another person’s success when you are struggling to make a decent living in this world. When things go wrong, when we don’t get what we have worked so hard for, we tend to internalize that failure. We blame ourselves for our failures. When we blame ourselves, we emanate those negative emotions onto other people. Pretty soon, we begin to lash out at other people. It is a snowball effect. One thing leads to another. Our depression will turn into jealousy, from jealousy into hatred if we don’t moderate our feelings and work to overcome the obstacle we are facing in our own lives.

None of us are able work on our own strength. Our strength comes from God. Without his guidance, we will get lost. When you’re struggling, turn to God because He will be your source of courage. You also have to believe in yourself as a person, that you are capable of achieving great things. With God, all things are possible. You need to place all of your trust in Him.

God has a plan for each and every one of us. What He has planned for you is usually completely different from the plan he has for your friend or neighbor. From the moment we receive His vision, it can take several years until that vision becomes a reality. Sometimes God does not reveal His plan to us when we want it the most. We must seek it.  So, when you are struggling and you hear of another person’s success, remember God has a plan for you. He will never forsake you. He only wants what is best for you. Just hang in there. Your hard work and perseverance will be rewarded. When you think about it this way, you can celebrate another person’s success. You can also rejoice in knowing that you are not alone. Help is on the way.

Happy New Year. May God bless each and everyone in the year 2013.