One of the hardest things for many to do is to celebrate someone else’s fortune.
Either we don’t care
OR
our competitive juices get to flowing
OR
The ugly green monster rears its ugly head.
The Bible says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” I’m afraid many of us do the opposite. We weep with those who rejoice and rejoice at those who weep. We have trouble seeing someone get ahead or enjoying something we ourselves want. And if someone gets ahead of us competitively…well there is just no reasoning with us.
That is why the video I am asking you to take a look at stands out so much. You may not care much for baseball. This video comes from the Little League World Series. What the young man batting does is phenomenal, but the real “star” of the show is the pitcher’s reaction. Watch it here.
Being a baseball lover, I absolutely love the action. The hit. The teammates. But this pitcher’s response is priceless. Maybe the church can learn a thing or two on how to rejoice in others’ pleasure.
What do you think?
That indeed made me smile. Great stuff.
Glad to hear it.
I wouldn’t walk across the street to watch major league baseball. But I do like to watch the Little League World Series every year. And this is why. I don’t think the church is ever going to be any different than any other adult business.
There is joy in children often missing in adults. i hope the church proves you wrong.
We celebrate other churches success as long as it doesn’t exceed our own church’s. Which is just wrong. We need to be more concerned with kingdom success.
That’s the problem Larry…and the solution
Oh, the pitcher’s reaction is priceless! Yes, let us remember to not let that ugly green monster raise its head in our hearts, and rejoice in the good fortune of others.
Blessings, Bill!
My feelings exactly Martha.
Love the reaction of the pitcher…yep, christian or not we could learn from this young man.
Totally agree Betty. He was definitely astounded.
Jealousy’s an ugly thing isn’t it. And as soon as we think we’ve got it conquered, it sneaks through another door.
Oh to see ourselves through His eyes …
That is the problem Linda. It sneaks in.
Loved the pitcher’s expression. Yes, it’s often hard to generate that kind of excitement for someone else’s success, and most especially if it’s your competitor! But that’s true community there. I do think the church could learn a lot from this… Thanks for sharing, Bill.
I loved that it was his competitor and he could still admire the hit. The church can learn for sure.
I loved this pitcher’s reaction to the Grand Slam! What a wonderful attitude and example for everyone! His joy and love for the game overrode any competitive jealousy. We saw this video often, as the LLWS is just an hour from us!
Awesome! No acting there, real life innocence.
I think our society and media breed contempt for those who do well or get ahead. Instead of painting them as hard workers and motivated folks, they get painted as greedy and selfish.
While there might be some truth to both, the reaction to what others get is the issue. As a kid I tended to be jealous, but with age and wisdom from God, how can we keep a worldly perspective?
How uplifting it is for the heart to celebrate with those who get more. Why should’t we be praying for others to have more than us, especially spiritual things?
I love it! So much to learn from each participant. You’re right! We can do so much better at celebrating each other. Thanks for this great reminder!