44 | Why Other Authors' Success Triggers You—The Biblical Cure

If other authors' success feels like evidence of your failure, this episode will change everything.

In this raw and honest conversation, I'm confessing my own struggle with author envy and sharing the biblical breakthrough that transformed jealousy into genuine celebration. We'll expose why comparison is particularly toxic in Kingdom work and how it's actually keeping you from the very calling God has for YOUR life.

You'll discover:

• Why you can't seem to celebrate others (hint: it's deeper than jealousy)
• The difference between godly inspiration and worldly competition
• My personal strategy for turning envy into intercession (this changed everything)
• How to genuinely rejoice when others get the breakthrough you're praying for
• Why another author's success can never threaten your God-ordained assignment

Plus, I'll share the one prayer that broke my comparison addiction and the specific practice that helped me build a Kingdom-minded author community instead of a competitive network.

If you're tired of feeling triggered by success stories, exhausted from comparing your chapter 3 to their chapter 30, and ready to break free from the comparison trap once and for all—this episode is your answer.

👉 Listen now to uncover the secret to becoming an anointed scribe!

Transcript

A few years ago, I watched a fellow Christian author,

someone I genuinely love and respect,

announce that she'd signed another book deal. And friend, I wish I could tell you my first thought was, praise God, well done.

But it wasn't.

My first thought was,

why not me, Lord, I've been faithful. I've been writing every day. I've been doing everything right.

And in that moment,

the Holy Spirit convicted me with a question that stopped me cold.

He said,

are you building my kingdom or competing for your own friend?

If you've ever struggled to celebrate another Christian author's success,

if you've ever felt that the their win somehow means your loss,

this episode is for you. Because today we are going to expose comparison for what it really is,

a kingdom killer that's keeping you stuck striving and missing the very calling God has for your life.

This is episode 44.

I'm Urcelia Teixeira, ex real estate agent turned award winning Christian fiction author.

When I wrote my first novel on a bucket list whim, I had no idea it would spark a spiritual journey that would redefine my calling. But you know what, friend?

Self publishing wasn't easy. I got caught in the hustle, chasing rankings and sales while desperately trying to stay rooted in Christ.

Now, by God's grace, I'm building my author business his way. And now he's called me to help you do the same.

Welcome to the Anointed Scribe podcast, where faith meets business for Christian writers. Let's write, publish, and grow our author business God's way. Are you ready? Well then, let's get started.

Hey, it's your author friend, Urcelia. And welcome to this week's episode of Anointed Scribe. I'm so glad you're here, friend,

because today we are tackling something that nobody really wants to talk about in Christian author circles.

In fact, not even in the secular or the worldly circles do they talk about it much. We're diving deep into comparison, and especially comparison to our fellow Christian writers. Because there's nothing that kills our purpose and calling more than thinking you are in competition with another Christian author.

Because here's how it plays out. We'll smile and comment,

congratulations on social media. But inside,

inside, we are dying. We are comparing. We are feeling less than.

We are questioning God. We are wondering if we heard him wrong about this whole writing thing. Thing.

And you know what?

That's exactly where the enemy wants us.

So focused on someone else's lane that we completely abandon our own.

So, friend, grab your coffee. Maybe some tissues, a notepad, and a pen.

Because we are about to get real honest about the comparison trap. And more importantly, how to break free from it once and for all.

So let's start with why comparison is particularly toxic in kingdom work.

You know, friend, comparison in the regular business world is bad enough,

but when we bring comparison into kingdom work,

it becomes absolutely toxic. And here's why.

We're not just comparing businesses or careers. We are comparing callings.

We are essentially telling God that He got it wrong,

that he blessed the wrong person,

that his distribution of gifts and opportunities isn't fair.

Think about that for a moment.

When I'm envious of another Christian author's platform,

I'm not just coveting their success.

I'm questioning God's sovereignty.

I'm saying I know better than him about what I need and when I need it.

In 1 Corinthians 12,

Paul talks about the body of Christ and he says something profound. In verse 18 it says this,

but in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them,

just as he wanted them to be.

Just as he wanted them to be, not as we think they should be. I mean, what a cheek, right?

When I'm consumed with wanting someone else's publishing deal,

I'm like the foot saying,

because I'm not a hand, I don't belong to the body.

But friend,

what if God needs you to be a foot?

What if the body desperately needs what only you can provide,

but you are so busy trying to be a hand that you are not functioning in your purpose?

I remember a season where I was so fixated on another author's success.

They had the exposure I wanted, the lifestyle I dreamed of, the platform I thought I needed.

I spent hours studying their strategies, trying to reverse engineer their success. Because success leaves clues, right?

And you know what happened?

My writing voice disappeared.

My unique message got diluted. I became a second rate version of them instead of a first rate version of who God called me to be.

Now let me be clear about something.

There's a difference between godly inspiration and worldly competition.

It's good to be inspired by other authors.

Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron, right?

We need each other. We need to see what's possible.

We need examples of faithfulness and excellence.

But here's how you know the difference.

Godly inspiration energizes you for your race.

Worldly competition exhausts you trying to run their race. Race.

When I'm operating in godly inspiration,

I can look at another author's success and think, wow,

look what God is doing.

If he can do that for them. He has something amazing for me too. In his timing, in his way.

It expands my faith. It reminds me that our God is a God of abundance,

not scarcity,

but worldly competition.

Oh, friend, that's different.

That whispers lies like, there's only room for so many Christian authors. Or she took your spot. Or her success means your failure. You're running out of time. You're falling behind.

Do any of those things sound familiar?

Can I tell you something?

Here's the truth.

There are billions of people on this planet.

Billions.

And. And your specific message, delivered in your unique voice,

is going to reach people that no other author can reach.

Not even your favorite best selling Christian author.

God has people assigned to you.

People,

readers, who need exactly what you have to offer,

exactly how you offer it.

I think about Moses. In Exodus 4,

God calls him to deliver Israel. And what's Moses response?

What about Aaron?

He speaks better than me. Send him instead.

Moses was comparing himself before he even started.

And God's response is so beautiful. He doesn't say, you're right,

you're not good enough, Moses.

No, God says,

I will be with your mouth.

Friend. God isn't asking you to have someone else's gift. He's asking you to steward your gift.

So how do we break free from this comparison trap? How do we move from envy to celebration?

I want to give you some practical strategies that have transformed my own heart in this area.

Okay, so are you ready?

Strategy number one and fair warning. This is going to sound counterintuitive,

but when you feel that envy rising,

stop and pray for that person immediately. I mean it. We are called to pray for our enemies, right? And these aren't enemies. These are people that are serving God in the same way you are.

So stop and pray for that person immediately. Right there in that moment.

Don't wait until the feeling passes. Pray while it's hot and uncomfortable.

But here's the key.

Don't just pray generic prayers.

Pray specific blessings over them,

Lord. Multiply their influence. Expand their territory. Give them favour with readers.

Use their words to transform lives.

Why?

Because you cannot simultaneously bless and curse.

You cannot genuinely intercede for someone and stay bitter toward them.

I started doing this with an author I was really struggling with.

Every time I saw her success,

jealousy would eat me alive.

So I became her secret intercessor.

Every single time I saw her posts, her announcements, her wins,

then I stopped and prayed blessing over her. You know what happened?

My heart changed. It had Nothing to do with her or her success.

It had everything to do with my heart.

I started genuinely celebrating her wins because I had invested prayer equity into them.

Strategy number Create what I call a celebration discipline.

This is where you intentionally celebrate. Other authors publicly and privately.

Share their books on your social media, write reviews,

send encouraging messages. But here's the thing.

Do it, especially when you don't feel like it.

Do it especially when you are struggling with comparison. Because here's what I've learned.

The antidote to scarcity mindset is generosity.

When I'm generous with my encouragement, my platform, my celebration of others,

I'm declaring that I believe in an abundant God who has more than enough for all of us.

The final strategy. Strategy number three, and this one requires some Holy Spirit surgery.

Identify the root of your comparison.

What are you really afraid of? Because comparison is usually fear dressed up.

Fear that you are not enough,

fear that you are behind,

fear that God has forgotten you.

Fear that you misheard your calling.

For me, my comparison was rooted in fear of insignificance. I was terrified of being invisible,

of my words not mattering, of me not reaching anybody,

of being average. Because all my life I've just been average.

And so every time another author succeeded, it felt like evidence that I was invisible.

But God showed me that my significance doesn't come from my Amazon ranking, or from being noticed, or from standing out to the world.

It comes from being his daughter, called and anointed for a specific purpose.

For his purpose.

Now let's talk about moving from forcing ourselves to celebrate to genuinely celebrate. Celebrating. Because, friend,

there's a difference between typing congratulations with gritted teeth and actually rejoicing with those who rejoice.

Romans 12:15 tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.

But notice it's a command,

not a suggestion. And God doesn't command us to do things we are not capable of doing with his help.

The key to genuine celebration is understanding that another author's success is your success too. Because we are all part of the same body, right?

Are you hearing me on this?

When a Christian author gets a mainstream publishing deal, or a TV deal or whatever it is, that's opening doors for all of us.

When a Christian book hits the best seller list,

that's expanding the kingdom's influence.

When someone in our community wins, we all win.

I love what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:26.

If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Every part rejoices. Why?

Because we are connected.

We are one body with one mission, with one God in common to make his name known.

But here's the practical part.

You might need to limit your exposure while you're healing from this comparison addiction.

It's okay to take a social media break.

It's okay to unfollow or mute certain accounts for a season while God does heart surgery.

This isn't about being petty. It's about protecting your calling while you are getting healthy.

This was what I had to do.

There was a season where I completely stepped away from author Facebook groups and Instagram because I couldn't handle the constant success announcements.

And you know what?

In that quiet space,

God reminded me of my assignment. I heard him so clearly when I could filter out all the noise.

He reminded me of the specific people, the specific readers he called me to reach.

He reminded me that my timeline is not their timeline. And that's okay.

And if I'm brutally honest with you today, the enemy threatens to take me back to that place every so often.

But here's the thing though,

because I've already been there and found healing from it. I know the signs and I can immediately repent and do what I need to do to not get sucked back into that place.

I've learned to protect my heart and my calling.

Which brings me to something crucial. We need to be intentional about building Kingdom minded community versus competitive networks. There's a massive difference between networking for personal gain and connecting for Kingdom impact.

And here's how to tell the difference.

A competitive network will ask you, what can you do for me?

How can you help me build my platform?

How can your platform help me? Will connecting with you advance my career?

What can I glean from you that will advance my career?

Well, a Kingdom community says,

how can we serve God's people together? How can we amplify his message? How can we support each other in our callings? How can we encourage and uplift each other when we are down?

Can you see the difference?

And friend? I've been in both. And let me tell you, Kingdom Community is where transformation happens.

When you are surrounded by authors who genuinely want God's best for you,

who pray for you, who celebrate with you, who challenge you to stay true to your calling.

That's when you thrive.

That's the community you want and need to seek out. In fact,

that's the community I'm trying to raise up through this podcast. So stay tuned because I'm still trying to figure it out and to find my way around the how and the way if you haven't noticed yet, I don't like social media much.

I try and avoid social media as much as I possibly can, even though we should be on social media, or so they say.

So we shall see.

Because here's what I've learned.

Kingdom community requires vulnerability.

It requires admitting when you are struggling with comparison.

It requires confessing when you are jealous.

It requires asking for prayer when you are battling bitterness. And that's what I believe we desperately need.

So I'd encourage you to find an author friend or two and share your struggles before your successes.

Create a safe space where you can be honest about your jealousies, your fears, your doubts, your insecurities.

Because you know what happens when you bring darkness into the light, right?

It loses its power.

So find someone who will pray for you instead of judge you, who can remind you of your calling and speak truth over you, just like you would in a church, just like you would in a home group, in a Bible study group.

And here's another truth that changed everything for me. In fact,

it spoke to me so profoundly that I anchored this podcast. In it, it's literally what I end each episode with. And it's this.

For such a time as this,

you have been called to thrive as God's anointed scribe friend.

Your calling is so specific,

so unique, that no one else's success can threaten it.

Esther 4:14 says,

and who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.

For such a time as this. Not for such a time as someone else's breakthrough.

Not. For such a time as that other author's book launch or TV deal.

For this time, your time,

God has orchestrated your life,

your experiences, your pain, your victories, your voice, your style, your message.

All of it for a specific purpose that only you can fulfill.

The person who needs your book doesn't need that best selling author's book. They need yours.

I think about my own journey.

I spent so much time trying to write like other successful Christian fiction authors. But you know what?

The readers God assigned to me needed my specific style. My mix of suspense and faith,

my particular way of weaving scripture into story.

When I stopped trying to be them and started being who God created me to be,

that's when my ministry exploded.

That's when I knew who I was.

That's when I knew what God had called me to.

There's a passage in Galatians 6, 4, 5 that revolutionized how I think about this. Now each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves. Alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.

For each one should carry their own load. I mean, that scripture just literally pulls this whole episode together. I mean, did you catch that?

Take pride in themselves. Alone, without comparing. God is saying,

focus on your own assignment.

Excellence in your calling isn't measured by someone else's achievements.

So friend, here's what I want you to do this week.

I want you to pick one Christian author you've been struggling to celebrate.

You know who it is. The one whose success triggers you, the one you feel like you are in competition with.

And I want you to become their secret champion this week.

Pray for them daily.

Share their work.

Write them an encouraging note.

Don't mention your own work. Don't try to network.

Just bless.

Just bless them. Just celebrate. And just support them.

And watch what God does in your heart.

Watch how he transforms that envy into genuine joy.

Watch how he uses your obedience to break the chains of comparison.

Because here's the truth.

When we are all functioning in our unique callings,

supporting each other, celebrating each other,

the kingdom advances in ways none of us could accomplish alone.

In fact,

let me wrap up today by praying over you. Okay? If you would just allow me. Quick.

Father, I lift up every author listening to this episode today who has struggled with comparison. Lord, you know the pain of feeling overlooked, the ache of watching others succeed while we wait.

But God, you also know the perfect plan you have for each of us. Help us trust your timing for help us celebrate your goodness in other authors lives.

Free us from the trap of comparison and help us run our race with joy.

Remind us that our calling is secure in you, that no one can take what you've ordained for us.

Give us kingdom hearts that truly rejoice when our sisters and brothers succeed. Help us run our race, not theirs. In Jesus name. Amen. Listen friend,

I know this was a heavy topic today,

but it's so crucial for moving from stuck and striving to anointed and thriving.

Comparison will keep you stuck every single time.

But celebration, celebration unleashes kingdom power.

So as you step into your calling this week,

if this episode resonated with you, would you do me a favour please and share it with another Christian author who might need this message. Actually,

send it to that author you've been struggling to celebrate, the one you feel you are in competition with. Send it to them.

We're all in this together, building God's kingdom one book at a time, right? So let's join hands in serving our readers together.

Because here's what I need you to Remember,

another author's success can never steal what God has already signed your name on.

Friend, before I let you go, I want you to use the send me a message link in the show notes and let me know where you need God to show up for you today so I can pray for you.

It's 100% anonymous. I can't see your name or your email or your phone number. I can't even reply to you. But I can read your request and I can pray for you.

So I encourage you to use this feature to send me a private message to let me know what you are struggling with right now so we can come together and take this to the Lord in prayer.

And if you found today's episode helpful, please consider subscribing and leaving a review.

You know firsthand the impact this has on discovery. So please help me get this show into more listeners ears. I have a mission and I cannot do it without you.

Oh and if you want more tips outside of the show, stay sign up to my monthly 5 minute manna emails. The link is in the show notes. Okay, so that's it for today's show.

Thank you for listening. And remember, for such a time as this,

you have been called to thrive as God's anointed scribe.