Can Success Become A Threat?
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? (1 Samuel 17:23-29)
Thought For Today:
It's truly fascinating how some people react with anger and frustration when they see others succeed. Often, this behavior is attributed to prejudice, but in reality, it stems from plain envy and jealousy. As Solomon wisely said, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy" (Proverbs 27:4)? Let's take a look at David's family for example. When David, the youngest of Jesse's sons, decided to take on Goliath, his eldest brother, Eliab, became visibly upset. I believe his reaction wasn't solely due to David's decision to fight Goliath, but rather because David had already been anointed as the future king of Israel. Eliab probably felt overlooked and rejected, leading to a sense of envy and jealousy. When he lashed out at David, David responded with grace, asking, "Is there not a cause?" It's a powerful reminder of how to handle such situations with composure and understanding. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes reacted with intense emotion towards Jesus due to His anointing, ultimately leading them to conspire against Him, resulting in His unfortunate demise. James wisely advises, "If bitter envy and conflict reside within you, refrain from boasting and distorting the truth. Such wisdom is not of divine origin, but rather worldly, self-centered, and malevolent. Where envy and discord thrive, chaos and malevolence abound. Conversely, divine wisdom is inherently pure, promoting peace, gentleness, approachability, overflowing with compassion and goodness, unbiased, and sincere" (James 3:14-17). Our divine calling does not involve harboring resentment towards others' accomplishments but celebrating alongside them. Therefore, when witnessing someone's success being recognized or elevated, let's replace anger with genuine joy and rejoice in their achievements.
