Social media and just everyday life can lead us down the path of comparison. It's an easy, yet dangerous, road to take. We want more, instead of being grateful for what we have. It is rebellion against what God deems for our unique life. You cannot live the life God created for someone else and your efforts to do so will lead to frustration, fatigue and failure. "Envy is a destructive attitude that God outlawed in The Ten Commandments with 'Do not covet.'"
Four harmful effects of envy.....[from A Purpose Driven Life]
---Envy denies your uniqueness
---Envy divides your attention
---Envy misuses your time and energy
---Envy leads you to other sins
Instead of comparing ourselves with others, we must learn to be happy in the joys and successes of others. If you think life should be fair and equal for all, then you're doubting God's goodness to you. 'Envy is the enemy of contentment.'
You might ask where this post all derived from. Well I am subject to the sin of envy too and these days stuck at home makes it more prevalent. I am prone to the envy of my abilities of my past and the tasks of others on facebook. That is when I have to stop and be grateful for all I do have and take into account the new abilities I have now. No, I don't want the power to go off to force me into counting my blessings. I have much and others are praying now for the things I take for granted.
''The next time you start to rant about God’s unfairness to you, remind yourself of these facts:
1. Everything I have is an undeserved gift from God. I wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for God’s grace. The next breath of air I take is a gift of God.
2. I don’t know what God knows and I can’t see what God sees, so I should trust him.
3. Life on earth is unfair because of sin, not because of God. Our rebellion against God has broken everything on the planet. This isn’t heaven, where everything works perfectly. Nothing works perfectly here.
4. God sent Jesus to save us from the judgment day when he will balance the books, right all wrongs, and administer justice.
5. It was not fair for Jesus to die in my place for my sins. But he did.''
James 3;16 '' For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.''
Warren, Rick (2012-10-23). The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 421). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
I have a tendency to envy very outgoing and successful women. I am somewhat a phlegmatic who has seen little outward signs of social or workplace advances (since I only worked in the workplace--teaching--for one year of our marriage.) If left to my morose side, I can begin to feel very sorry for myself and envious of others who accomplish what I do not. But I must rejoice in what God has gifted me, His own, and thank Him for my special friends who encourage me with words like today's. Thank you, my sweet Angie.
ReplyDeleteGloria, I think you and Angie have both accomplished much for the Lord. You both encourage others and promote faith and praise of our Lord--what better work could there be? I found myself being "envious" of some missionary workers who were printing, pasting and folding information about God and Jesus for teaching those in Africa who had never heard the Good News--what an honorable work and one in which the Lord must be pleased. Mom
ReplyDeleteDitto, Bobbie. How much we take for granted and how quickly we forget that any small or large accomplishment we might make is only by the grace of God. Nothing we do on this earth can be as important as how we live to glorify and honor our Lord and Savior. Much love, T.
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