Romans 12:15

When Someone Else Succeeds

Another person’s success can reveal a great deal about what is happening within us. When someone receives an opportunity, achieves a goal, receives recognition, or begins making progress, our response may be genuine happiness for them. At other times, their success may produce jealousy, resentment, frustration, or questions about our own progress.

Scripture teaches us how to respond. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice.” We are called to genuinely appreciate the good that happens in another person’s life. Their progress does not require us to question our own future or become discouraged about where we are.

First Corinthians 13:4 says that love “does not envy.” Envy develops when our attention becomes fixed on what someone else has, what opportunities they received, how they are being recognized, or what they have accomplished. Instead of giving proper attention to our own responsibilities, abilities, and opportunities, we begin evaluating our lives through someone else’s results.

Galatians 5:26 warns, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Continual comparison can affect relationships and create attitudes that make it difficult to appreciate another person’s good. James describes the consequences even more strongly: “Where jealousy and selfishness are, there will be confusion and every kind of evil” (James 3:16 NLT).

Envy affects the person carrying it.

Proverbs 14:30 says, “A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.” Resenting someone else’s success does not reduce what they have accomplished. It affects our own peace, thinking, and emotional condition. Proverbs 27:4 asks, “Who is able to stand before jealousy?” Scripture recognizes how destructive jealousy can become when it is continually allowed to grow.

Cain is one of the earliest biblical examples. Genesis 4 tells us that God accepted Abel and his offering, while Cain and his offering were not accepted. Cain became angry. God asked him, “Why are you angry?” and then said, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:6–7).

God directed Cain toward personal responsibility. Cain had something he could address in his own life, but his attention became focused on Abel. His resentment eventually influenced him to make a terrible decision.

There is an important lesson here. When someone else is doing well, we can spend our energy resenting their results, or we can examine our own attitudes, decisions, habits, and actions. We can ask what we need to learn, develop, correct, or begin doing.

Joseph’s brothers also allowed jealousy to affect their behavior. Genesis 37:11 says, “And his brothers envied him.” Their resentment influenced the way they spoke to Joseph, treated him, and eventually what they did to him. Their reaction to Joseph’s favor created serious problems within their family and within their own lives.

Saul followed a similar pattern with David. When the women celebrated David’s victories and sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,” Saul became angry. Scripture says, “So Saul eyed David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 18:7–9).

Saul became preoccupied with David.

The New Living Translation says, “So from that time on Saul kept a jealous watch on David” (1 Samuel 18:9 NLT). His attention shifted from faithfully fulfilling his own responsibilities to watching another man’s advancement. Over time, jealousy developed into fear and destructive behavior.

David continued handling his own responsibilities. First Samuel 18:14 says, “And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.” Saul watched David. David continued working on his own conduct.

That difference is worth recognizing.

Another person’s success can become useful information when we respond correctly. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise.” Instead of resenting someone who has accomplished something worthwhile, we can learn from that person. We can examine their habits, preparation, decisions, discipline, and consistency.

Hebrews 6:12 tells us to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” The Amplified Classic encourages believers to follow those who receive the promises through faith and the “practice of patient endurance” (Hebrews 6:12 AMPC). Scripture actually encourages us to observe people whose lives demonstrate good results and learn from what they are doing correctly.

Jealousy makes that difficult. It can cause us to criticize what we should be studying.

If someone succeeds in an area where you desire to grow, ask better questions. What did they learn? How did they prepare? What habits helped them? How long did they work before the visible results appeared? What mistakes did they correct? What can you apply appropriately in your own life?

You can appreciate another person’s success without trying to become that person.

Paul gives us another important principle in Galatians 6:4: “Let each person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work” (AMPC). Our primary responsibility is to examine our own work.

Second Corinthians 10:12 warns against people who are “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves.” Paul says that doing this is not wise. Continual comparison gives us an unreliable standard for evaluating our own progress.

Jesus addressed this directly with Peter. After Jesus spoke to Peter about his future, Peter looked at John and asked, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus answered, “What is that to you? You follow Me” (John 21:21–22).

Peter wanted information about someone else’s path. Jesus redirected him toward his own responsibility.

The Message makes the response especially direct: “What’s that got to do with you? You follow me” (John 21:22 MSG).

There are times when we need to give ourselves the same instruction. Someone else may receive an opportunity before we do. Someone may progress more quickly in an area where we have been working for years. Someone may have abilities we do not have. Someone may receive recognition while our work remains largely unnoticed.

Our responsibility remains the same: follow God and faithfully do what He has given us to do.

Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s workmanship, “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

God has prepared meaningful work for you.

Another person’s success does not remove your gifts, your opportunities, or the work God has prepared for your life. Romans 12:6 says, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.”

The Passion Translation expresses the principle this way: “God’s marvelous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts and ministries that are uniquely ours” (Romans 12:6 TPT).

You have something to develop and use. Spending excessive time comparing your abilities with someone else’s can keep you from giving sufficient attention to your own.

The psalmist experienced this struggle. In Psalm 73 he admitted, “I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:3). He also said his feet had almost stumbled. Watching other people prosper was affecting his own spiritual stability.

Psalm 37:1 gives practical instruction: “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.” Proverbs 23:17–18 says, “Do not let your heart envy sinners,” and then directs attention toward our own future and hope.

We do not have to become emotionally disturbed by another person’s advancement.

One of the healthiest responses is to learn to celebrate good things happening to other people. Romans 12:15 gives us that instruction directly. When someone succeeds, congratulate them. When someone receives an opportunity, be happy for them. When someone makes progress, encourage them.

This trains our hearts away from resentment.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” The New Living Translation says, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NLT).

Generosity includes more than money. We can be generous with encouragement, appreciation, support, recognition, and goodwill.

Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38). A person who develops the habit of contributing to the good of others spends less time resenting what others have received.

Our attitudes eventually influence our actions, and our actions contribute to the results we experience. Galatians 6:7 says, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” If we continually cultivate jealousy, criticism, resentment, and comparison, those attitudes will affect our relationships and decisions. If we cultivate generosity, diligence, humility, learning, faith, and personal responsibility, those qualities can contribute to healthier results.

When another person succeeds, you have several good responses available to you. Rejoice with them. Learn from them. Examine your own work. Continue developing your gifts. Stay faithful to what God has given you to do.

Their success can show you that progress is possible.

Then return your attention to your own assignment and keep moving forward.