'We just had 100 teenagers along to our new-look youth group. That's 20 more than normal!", an excited youth minister recently told his friend from Bible college.

The response?

"That's great mate. But before you get too excited, let's just see if they come back next week."

When a person speaks about his or her success in ministry, the response from others is often lukewarm.

Perhaps it's a Christian version of the so-called 'Tall Poppy Syndrome', in which Aussies habitually cut down high achievers to the median level of mediocrity.

But is this a Christian response? Is it right for us to look down on the high flyers?

On the one hand, it is right for us to help our brothers and sisters not to get too proud or conceited. It is all too easy for leaders to glorify themselves during the adrenaline rush of a life-changing conversation or oration. We should graciously remind them that it is God who brings growth in peoples' lives, often in ways that have no correlation to the results of our schemes and strategies.

On the other hand, it is right for us to seek and celebrate success in ministry. In the same way that we should rejoice with the angels in heaven when sinners repent, we should also rejoice with our fellow workers when their ministry appears to bear fruit. It is right for us to delight in 'wins' as we share the moments with our co-workers and congregations.

Whatever we do, we must try to be counter-cultural in our reaction to the success of those around us. We must fight the Aussie tendency to cut down others. We must repent of the times when we have spoken disparagingly about the achievements of others, as we have dragged them down in order to close the success gap, or to mask our jealousy or sense of failure.

Yet, those who have enjoyed visible and tangible successes must be vigilant in guarding against pride. If you have made decisions or enacted strategies that have delivered good results then you must ensure you give credit where credit is due. Your mind and your skills are God-given gifts. Indeed, the 'luck' or 'good fortune' that may appear to surround your brilliant leadership is nothing less than the hand of God in working his sovereign will through the works he has prepared in advance for you to do.

There is nothing Christian about the Tall Poppy Syndrome. We should repent of our Aussie tendency to treat success with contempt. But, likewise, those who are tempted to bask in the glory of their achievements should take heed, lest he or she fall.