Celebrating Wins

Celebrating the wins of life is one of the most important lessons for any of us occupying space on this quick turning world.

I witness the endless desire to cheer for self and others through the innocent actions of our toddler girl. She is the first to applaud unapologetically after she has finished her most dramatic rendition of her favorite show-tune and the first to bow with great joy. When exposed to the successes of others she is quick to smile and wants to relive whatever greatness she has experienced. Championing others is easy for her because she is still more interested in the person than the prize.

Her Sunday mornings are spent dancing freely at the back of the auditorium to the worship music of our favorite church band. She dances and spins and sings along while watching her “Daddy Boy” play the guitar. One particular morning as he finished singing one of her favorite songs at the end of a gathering, she erupted into outlandish applause and yelled “Yay, Daddy!” over a room full of adults. My inclination was to silence her because it could have been viewed as an out of place response, but my heart whispered…oh, that we would all cheer so loudly at the talent of others. She cheered him on and so did I. 

When did life become such a competition among us that we forgot how to cheer just as loudly for others as we wish they would cheer for us?  

It has become second-nature to many of us to compare and compete. So much so, that we have bought the distorted lie that there are not enough successes to go around. We have bought into the idea that we must be willing to claw our way through or fight tooth and nail in order to claim the win that is rightfully ours before someone else claims it as their own.

If we could authentically wrap our heads around the idea that the success of others does not diminish or extinguish our victory, we might actually become a people bearing good-will towards man. We can never cheer for the good-will and gain of our friends, colleagues, siblings, neighbors, or opponents if we believe that they must lose in order for us to win.

Likewise, we will never accept the worth and impact of our own victories if we deem the wins of others to be more valuable. One of the most beautiful truths in scripture (in my opinion) is that we are EACH created in the very image of God. We ALL bear His image and are therefore seen with equal love, value, and importance in the eyes of our Perfect Father. Valuing others beyond yourself liberates you to truly appreciate the YOU that God has created and is continually making into a new creation.

After all, you cannot “love your neighbor as yourself” if you do not first love yourself. Loving the you that God is making, finding joy in the creation of you, and giving God the glory for all of your victories is ultimately what frees you to applaud wildly for the achievements of others.

Scarcity is not an issue in the Kingdom of God and it is high time we started living like we believe that truth. There is no scarcity because God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” (Ephesians 3:20) He is able to do more than we can imagine which tells my often weary heart that there is more than enough victory to go around.

So, dear friends, the next time that you have the chance to cheer or clap or high-five or pat someone on the back…will you seize it with a sincere smile on your face? I urge you to be the first to congratulate and the first to applaud, not out of obligation but out of acceptance that the wins of those around us are the wins of us all.

As for me, I will applaud first and loudest any victory to which I am privy. I will strive hard and fast to clap loud and often for all of those that I encounter, even for those I do not understand and those whom have committed wrongdoing towards me. I will celebrate the wins of others and the successes of self because I have been liberated by Christ to do so.

Will you join me in this mission to champion well the hearts of those you encounter? The world has plenty of critics…it’s time for the church to become cheerleaders.

© Dani Hardy, March 17, 2019

*For more on “Celebrating Well”, tune-in to the upcoming episode of the It is Well podcast releasing on March 27, 2019.