
Be a Fan of Others
“and take delight in honoring each other.” – Rom. 12:10 NLT

Celebrating the wins in other people’s lives is an essential but often overlooked part of loving people. In Origins Community, when we talk about being interested in the people right in front of us and exploring the needs of our individual communities it’s easy to just think of financial needs, resource concerns, fighting acts of injustice or being there for someone who has experienced a loss. But people don’t just need our love and attention when things aren’t going well, we need to celebrate with others too.
When we celebrate even the smallest things that matter to someone else, we communicate in a big way that they matter to us. Like fans cheering on our favorite team, we should make others feel like we win when they win – like we’re paying attention and eagerly anticipating the next good moment in their life. And like fans, it requires us to assume a posture of paying closer attention to the details of their life than our own.

This week, practice a rhythm of being a fan and celebrating other people’s wins.
Celebrating doesn’t have to be elaborate or hard. Just pay attention and be ready to cheer. Practicing this rhythm will probably look different for all of us, but here are a few examples of simple and easy ways to celebrate others:
- Pay attention to milestones – perhaps buy a cup of coffee for a co-worker on their work anniversary or get a small gift for a student or teacher who has completed a new semester of school.
- Offer congratulations – write a congratulations card to someone when they receive a promotion or recognition for their work on a project. Or better yet, start handing out high-fives like they haven’t already gone out of style.
- Show appreciation for other people’s celebrations. When someone celebrates something special to them on social media, “like” it or even consider “sharing” it.
- Root for someone when they’re facing a challenge. It never hurts to hear that someone else believes you can do something when you begin to doubt yourself.