Are You Eaten By Envy?

Do you ever struggle with envy? Do you ever resent the successes of others? I must confess that I have done both. The fact that I know that I am not alone in that struggle, that I know without a doubt that virtually everyone around me has this same confession to make, does little to relieve my feelings of guilt for sinning in this way. Why do we envy what others have? I think it is because we all do battle everyday with our human nature which is all about self-love, self-gratification, self-needs, self-absorbedness, self-delusions and self-obsession. This is why Jesus message was so clear and so emphatic that the greatest commandments we are to live by is to love a power far greater than our self, God, and to love OTHERS as we would have them love us.

Many of us have been blessed with so much in our lives and yet when our eyes are focused on the things of the world, we are never filled up or satisfied. It is only the focus on the growth of our spirit, which is only accomplished through service to God and to others, that brings everlasting and true fulfillment. When we are in the presence of Jesus, in daily communication with Him and acting as He would act, there is nothing more we could want. The Holy Spirit has the power to satisfy us and complete us in ways that no house, no car, no job, no title, no person, no amount of money ever could. As Jesus told the woman at the well, He provides a never-ending spring of fresh, life-giving water that will quench any thirst we have.

But we live in a world where money, power and possessions reign and this makes it difficult for us because we are weak as men. God's perfection, however, is made manifest through our weakness. The mighty on earth are humbled and the humble are made mighty. Though we may not have vast earthly treasures, the treasure of everlasting spiritual fulfillment through a personal connection to the Source and Creator of all that is, was and will be is mightier than all the transitory"riches" available in this world. There is a saying in our society that to get ahead is all about who you know. I don't know or have any personal relationships with any celebrities, mighty politicians or rich moguls. I can't name-drop any powerful or well-known people that I've had dinner with. I don't need to, because there is no more powerful name to drop than the holy name of Jesus. Yes, that's right, I spend each and every minute of every day with the most powerful, the mightiest king of the universe, the Creator of all things. Are you envious? Don't be, because I can introduce you to Him personally and He can be your personal friend too.

Father, forgive me for my envy and resentment. Thank you for the many blessings you have poured out on me through your mercy and generosity, even though I've proven time and again to be unworthy. Help me to keep my sight on those things that are worthy of your blessing and strengthen my resolve to turn from my sinful nature. Help me to take my eyes off of my self and to lift myself above the things of this world. Help me to realize how mighty it is to be humble.

How Does God Speak To You?

I think God has personalized ways of speaking to each of us. By praying and talking to Him everyday and then allowing time to LISTEN, I think we begin to learn when God is talking to us. This is one of the most important things we can learn so that we can be assured that we are listening to His direction and acting according to His will.

Sometimes God puts multiple "coincidences" in our lives, synchronistic events, and if we begin to take notice of the theme in these events, then we can begin to receive His instruction and guidance. Sometimes we "randomly" find ourselves reading a particular passage in the Bible that speaks to our specific situation in a personal way. Sometimes words or images may come into our minds with a special kind of force or emphasis that separates them from the millions of other words and images in our minds. Sometimes God's very words are spoken through the mouths of our children, our spouse, or close friend.

However it happens, I think it is universal that there is an underlying feeling that goes with the communication. This feeling is hard to describe and would probably be described differently by each person, but I think we all know that what we are feeling is the presence of the Truth. We are built to recognize the Truth when we see it, hear it, or feel it. This is what some people call a gut feeling or intuition. Of course, our minds can intellectualize ourselves out of acting on our intuition and so we have to learn to recognize when we are in the presence of Truth and not let ourselves be swayed from it. Acting on the Truth is not always pleasurable, but ultimately it feels right and we are at peace when we are following it.

When should we ask for God's direction and guidance? Every minute of every day. There is no decision so mundane that God is not willing to give you direction if you are willing to surrender to His will in all things. After all, our lives are not made up of a few major events, but an endless series of "small" events that color and shape all that we do and become.