Day #39: Thursday, February 11th

Avoid Envy- The Enemy of Purpose

Scripture References:  Prov. 14:30, 2 Cor. 10:12, Eph. 3:8

Devotional

A heart at peace gives life to the body but envy rots the bones." (Prov. 14:30)

You cannot fulfill God’s purpose for your life if you envy the lives of others.  While God created each of us with similar purposes, the way you fulfill those purposes is absolutely unique.  God distinctively shaped you for a life unlike any others.  Only you can be you.  Only you can live the life God designed you to live.  To attempt to be what you weren’t created to be always leads to frustration, fatigue, and failure.  

In today’s world, where the web allows us to see how everyone else is living, we must guard against envy.  Envy enters when we resent how God made others and reject how He made us.  Asking questions of comparison about others will only distract your focus away from what God wants to do in your life and refocuses it on all that you don’t have. 

Stop comparing yourself to others.
2 Cor. 10:12 says, “…When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves to themselves, they show how foolish they are.”  Why is it foolish to compare yourself with others?  Because you are incomparable!  God doesn’t judge you for talents you don’t have or for opportunities you didn’t get.  He will. Only evaluate your faithfulness by how you lived and what you did with what you were given.  Are you doing what God created you to do? Are you making the most of what you’ve been given?

Celebrate God’s goodness to others.
Instead of resenting others, rejoice with them.  Paul said, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Rom 12:15). This is difficult sometimes because we fear that there is only a limited supply of God’s goodness and grace.  Remember Eph. 3:8 that says, “….this grace was granted and graciously entrusted: to proclaim to the Gentiles the unending (boundless, fathomless, incalculable, and exhaustless) riches of Christ.”  Truly God’s supply cannot be exhausted.  Learn to enjoy other people’s victories and you will always have something to be happy about. 

Be Grateful for who you are and whatever you have.
1 Cor. 4:7-8 MSG says, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need.”  Envy asks, “Why them” whereas  gratitude asks, “Why me? Why do I get all that I have?”  What you do is what matters most to God.  God did not make a mistake when He gave your life purpose so be unique in who you are always being grateful to God. 

Prayer

Lord, thank you for making me unique from any other person on this earth.
May I live the life that you designed for me.
I will not compare myself to others knowing that you made me incomparable.
I will celebrate the victories in other people’s lives.
I will be grateful for who I am and for what I have.
You made me on purpose for Your purpose and I am thrilled with that.