God gave each of us a gift, and so when we envy other people’s blessings, not only do we get disappointed about not having what they have. When we do this, we also can no longer appreciate the equally special gift God has blessed us with.
And so as we go through our lives, let us learn the discipline of being content with what we have as we trust that God has ordained the blessing He has given us in accordance with His special plan for our lives.
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
When we intentionally busy ourselves being productive using whatever talent and resources God has given us, we will no longer have the time to look at what others have. And as we develop such a character, may we also learn to be happy for others.
“and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
One of the best proof that God does not want us comparing our fate and blessings with another person, is the conversation Jesus had with the Apostle Peter. The Bible tells us that after He was resurrected from the dead, our Jesus asked Peter to take care of His flock, and He also mentioned to Him the kind of death Peter will be facing.
And so, when Peter saw his fellow disciple John, He asked Jesus what would happen to him. And bluntly, the Lord told Peter that he should not mind what would happen to others and instead just focus on following Him.
“Peter asked Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus replied, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.’” John 21:21-22
Given this passage, we must keep in mind that the Lord does not want us meddling into other people’s business, even if it is about spiritual things or service to the church. What we should focus on is our life, and how we get to live His teachings.
Let us remember that nobody gets everything, but everyone gets blessed with at least something that they can live on, be productive of, and rejoice over. Let’s quit staring at our social media feed, and stop zooming in on the lives other people project over it. Instead, let us focus on living a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on John 21:17-22 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: How do you try to discipline yourself when you start being jealous of another person’s blessing? How does knowing that the Lord wants us to focus on our own business prompt you to stop comparing?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for encouraging us to focus on ourselves, and how we can be productive, and be of service to you and to others. May we have the grace to continue focusing on our own affairs, and live the life you have designed for us. Amen.