God Made You to Be YouSample

DAY 1: Cheer the Loudest

Who doesn’t love to shine? To be the star of the show, the center of attention? Whether it’s up on a stage, landing the deal, or acing the project, shining feels wonderful!

What happens, though, when we have to share the spotlight? Or, tougher question, what happens when the spotlight is on—it’s just not shining on us? Our actions in those moments say a lot about the kind of friend we really are.

When it’s a friend’s time to shine, when they’re doing great things, having success after success and win after win, we know we should be happy for them, right? But let’s be honest: all too often a bit of jealousy creeps in. And it brings with it ugly little whispers of things like, I could have done it better, or That should be me.

Maybe we shrug those thoughts off as we give our polite little clap and cheer. It’s only natural to feel this way, we think. But Jesus asks us to live a different way. Take the lead in honoring one another (Romans 12:10 CSB). That’s the mark of true friendship. And it’s the kind of friendship we need to nurture in our children. How? The way Jesus did so many things: by being a living example. 

Let’s make it a point to show our kids how to celebrate success, no matter who is doing the winning. No polite little golf claps. No cool congratulations. Instead, cheer the loudest and clap the longest. Let’s take the lead in celebrating your friend’s success. 

For the Kids: Hip, Hip, Hooray!

In God Made You to Be You, Sammy’s friends were shining in the spotlight while he was stuck on the sidelines. So what did Sammy do? He threw himself a great, big pity party. Sometimes, it is hard to cheer for your friends, especially when they get the thing you wanted for yourself. But do you know what? It’s okay to be both disappointed for yourself and happy for your friends at the same time.   

• Have you ever felt like Sammy—disappointed because your friends are shining in the spotlight?   
• How did you handle it? Would you do anything different?  
• What are some ways you can show that you’re happy for your friends, even though you’re a little sad for yourself?