Fighting Envy

“for ungodly rich men are but as beasts fattened for the slaughter. “

C.H. Spurgeon

PSALMS 37:1-2

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

It starts with something as simple as flipping through a magazine or channel surfing. It does not take long to find yourself immersed into someone else’s life. A life where men and woman have made fortunes by doing evil things. Maybe wrote a "tell all" book about their many partners, or publicized that they made their living by selling drugs and now make millions by singing or rapping about it. All while going to great lengths to show you how they spend their money on their new reality show.

If you are anything like me, you immediately become angry and envious at the same time wondering “why is this person successful when I am following the rules and struggling to pay tuition.” You resent that these people seem to be prospering without God while you suffer with Him. It eats at your very core. “This can not be fair,“ you mumble to yourself.

This is what I call an "Adam and Eve moment". You have taken your eyes off of the One who created the garden for you and have now focused on the one tree you were forbidden to eat from. In this case the one tree is the prosperity of a world filled with people who openly slander God. At this point envy is threatening to take away your joy and will gladly do so.

If we are not on guard we will quickly fall into the same trap Peter did after finding out he was going to be martyred. He looked at John (the one whom Jesus loved) and asked Jesus “ what about Him?” You must remember the truth in these times. That is God is a loving and just God that will take care of all our needs. Once you quickly submit your thoughts to Jesus you will remember that there is no 5 star hotel and beach resort that will compare to heaven and that $300,000 cars have no place in in eternity.

All the material gains and people who worship them will wither and fade away. But because of the priceless blood that covered our filth we will live forever worshiping God in paradise.

Psalm 73:25

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Doggy Bag

The resentment that develops from envy ultimately keeps us from loving that person. This is the perfect time to repent for not being thankful and remove the bitterness that has eroded our hearts which keeps us from loving and serving the way we are called to!