I recently came across an amazing observation by the actor Leonardo DiCaprio. He said that you “should pay very close attention to anyone who doesn’t clap when you win.” That observation points to the perennial power of envy, what Shakespeare called the “green eyed monster that mocks the very meat that it feeds on.” Centuries ago, Aristotle defined envy as pain or sadness at the good fortune of others. Envy is as old as the garden of Eden. Envy was the motivation behind the first murder, which was the result of a conflict between the first two brothers. Genesis 3:4-7 recounts the scene:

Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn’t get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

God spoke to Cain: “Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.”

Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him.

Envy is an ancient foe of our souls. Envy is natural—which means clapping when others win is unnatural.. Clapping when others win is a function of maturity. At its worse, clapping when others win is either a learned behavior, or a psychological hack. At its best, clapping when others win is the spiritual fruit of a mature believer.

One test for those of us who have been born again and claim to call ourselves Christians is our attitude toward the success of others. In Romans 12:15, Paul says “'Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” However, the difficulty of putting this precept into practice should not be underestimated. This is why he tells us earlier in the chapter to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Without renewing our minds, we are more prone to be imprisoned by envy. Without renewing our minds, there is a high probability that we will not clap when other people win. Without renewing our minds, we will do everything except clap: we will whine, wince, and worry.

That is why Simone Biles’ behavior at the recent Olympics caught the world by surprise. I do not know if Mrs Biles is a Christian. But she certainly exhibited Christian behavior. At the ceremony for the floor exercise competition of Women’s Gymnastics on August 5, Biles’ and her American teammates Jordan Chiles' bowed to Brazil's Rebeca Andrade as she was awarded the gold medal. When asked to explain their action, Biles has said that they bowed because “it was good sportsmanship,” to “pay tribute her hard work,” and to highlight the fact that it was an “all black podium”—meaning that everyone up there was of African descent. Whatever the reason, I thought it was an incredible moment. They not only clapped. They bowed. And for Biles to bow—when she is the most decorated gymnast in the history of her sport, after already having won 11 Olympics medals (including 7 gold)—was a breathtaking to behold.

So here’s today’s question: how do you respond when other people win?