Happy Sunday to you!
As Christians, we struggle with many of the same issues as people who are followers of other faiths or nonbelievers. Our struggles do not speak to our religion or our spirituality. They speak to our humanity. For instance, many of us struggle with insecurities. When dismissed casually, those insecurities can breed envy.
Envy is a cancer. It has the power to rob us of opportunities to be love and show love. It also has the ability to isolate us from persons who are sent into our lives as blessings. When we look at the world through the lens of jealousy, our vision is distorted. This is because envy comes from a place of ignorance. It highlights a lack of awareness of oneself and of others. If we truly understand our value as individuals, we would not be covetous of the identity of others.
How do we overcome the burdensome weight of envy? The answer is tremendous willpower. We have to make the conscious effort to ignore the lies that breed within the mind when envy is present. We have to be cognizant of the beauty that lies within us all. We have to celebrate who God is and who we are. Our humanity should be tempered by our faith. The Spirit of God calls us to view the world through His sight. His spirit reveals to us the love we should have for others— not because of what they do or do not… but because they exist.
You may not be able to change every person by demonstrating unconditional love. However, you can be transformed when you choose love over envy. Your life becomes much healthier and peaceful as you delight in God and accept your God-given identity. God has promises and rewards stored up just for you. So you should rejoice when you see Him doing awesome things in the lives of those around you.
One day, I hope we all realize how silly it is to be jealous of one another. There’s too many places to travel, too many people in need, and so much life to live. So if you’re not a particular person’s cup of tea…remember you’re everything to the Creator of the universe.