Partners in Parenting

“Enjoying Someone Else’s Success!”

As some of you may know about me, I have a passion for the outdoors – and deer hunting in particular. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I

was able to spend a day in the woods with a very close friend, his college-age son, and a foreign exchange student from China assigned to his

son. We had a great day together watching the snow fall, sun rise, animals, etc….. In the end, my friend and his son were both successful in

harvesting a deer. I, on the other hand, missed when the opportunity presented itself. They experienced success. I experienced failure. I

found myself sharing in their joy due to their success and my own failure didn’t bother me. At the end of the day, I contemplated how that

was a pretty odd feeling for me. I’m usually pretty upset with myself when I fail at something in life. I fail all the time at things, and I don’t

like it. I also found it odd that I would be so excited about someone else’s success at the very same time that I had failed. I’m very thankful

my heart was filled with joy and not envy. Paul expressed his joy for the believers in Ephesus even though he was enduring great persecution

for his faith –

Ephesians 1:15, 16 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I

have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

The events of this past weekend reminded me to find joy in the

success of others despite what is happening in my life. Paul did it for the early Christians, and I think Christians today can do that for each

other.

Family Discussion Points!

Share some personal failures with each other. Now share some personal successes with each other.

Consider this – as you “fail” at something, is it OK with you that others “succeed?” Why or why not?

Paul is excited about the faith of the Christians in Ephesus. What do we tend to get excited about in our own lives?