September 22, 2021
A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.
~Proverbs 14:30~
Here's a reminder that isn't too fun to think about. The dangers of envy, jealousy and coveting. The Lord pressed this one on me today to write about. Of course He loves us enough to warn us and chasten us when we need it most. Envy creeps in when we least expect it. Usually when it happens it goes unnoticed by the person feeling it. Soloman compares envy to rottenness because that is all it brings. It does not bring life to any given situation, rather death. Often times we see someone who has a certain type of walk with the Lord and we allow our human flesh to judge that. Starting to covet what they have is simply against God's own commandment; "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
(Exodus 20:17)
We are all very fortunate and blessed to know the Lord, we all have opportunity to grow in a unique way beside Him. There is no need to covet something that is just simply different then what the Lord has with us. It is equally as important. The time we waste wanting what others have could be spent on gaining our own right relationship.
It brings rottenness and lacks the production of God's fruit.
Gifts. God gives heavenly gifts to all of His children. We choose whether we tap into ours or not. When we notice someone's gifts and we feel that jealousy begin to rise, we are becoming our own individual Judas my friends. It is not for us to decide what we have and what others do not. It is up to God only. Let us be joyous and happy with what the Lord has gifted us in. Being appreciative may just bring us more. "Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?"
(Matthew 23:19)
Without even knowing it we then begin to idolize spiritual gifts and we take our eyes off the One who supplies them. This becomes rottenness to our calling. We will get tripped up in our path and take a route not paved by the Lord Himself. Again, we could use this time wisely. If we are thirsting for more let us come to the Father and ask with our heart; "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13)
He will only supply what He knows we will glorify Jesus in. We are not given these for ourselves one bit. If our hearts are not in the right mind set then Father may just wait on those gifts until He decides otherwise. Only He knows the true intents of our hearts.
It needs to be a sound heart. For this is life to the body, as Soloman makes very clear.
We must remember even Soloman allowed his own ego to get in the way of glorifying God in time, his heart began to produce what he was writing about; "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (Matthew 6:29)
The Lord warns us to be very careful what we "wish for." We need to make sure each day we are surrendering to His will and not attempting to make our own way to glory. The only thing we should long and desire to have more of is time with Jesus Christ. An intimate setting with Jesus brings promotions in the Kingdom. We must not covet, for this brings us nowhere but into rottenness. We must be content with what we have for this is life to the body.
"Now godliness with contentment is great gain." (I Timothy 6:6)
Let us produce the fruits of the spirit and reject our fleshly thought process. We have no need to want, for Jesus is more then enough!
Prayer:
Lord Father God, thank you for the blessings You have given to me. I always long for more ways to glorify Jesus Christ and however You choose to use me, I submit to that. If there is any envy in my heart, please remove this from me so I may walk only in love of the One who keeps me alive. I praise Your longsuffering as You watch carnal humans produce rottenness. I pray that the flesh will align to You and the true intents of every heart will produce fruit for the Kingdom. Bless those who are confused and longing what they don't have. Show them what they do have Lord. Guide me in the calling You specifically have for me. I have no need of anything other then what You are willing to give Lord. You are sufficient enough and I am honored just to commune with You. Remind me of the dangers when the emotions or temptations begin to come into play. I do not want to fall into a trap of jealousy or bitterness. I am content with what I have. In the Name above all Names I receive what You give, Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.