Dear Faith Family,
Praying you are well and having a glad heart today,
Then again, maybe you are not. Glad today, that is. Think about it for a moment—what is it that is getting in the way of your full happiness? Sure, we all have tough days and life is peppered with frustrations here and there. But have you ever traced your personal unhappiness back to its core? You want to say "sin." Right, but take a moment to sharpen your focus.
I challenge you to do it today. Think about what is holding you back from full happiness. It isn't worry. Worry is a false core. We may find ourselves worrying about relationships, finances, work, health or something else. But worry isn’t the core issue. My eyes were opened as I went through this exercise myself this morning. I believe the core of much of our personal shallow and fallow contentment is envy.
Before you label me crazy (I’ve been called worse), give careful thought to this significant term which has fallen out of common use. We often think of envy as desiring something that someone else has. But the core meaning of envy is this: “A feeling of discontent and ill will because of another’s advantages, possessions etc.; resentful dislike of another who has something that one desires.”
Discontent betrays a spiritual ugliness we seldom admit to ourselves or others. Discontent robs us of full happiness because we don’t have what we want or don’t have what someone else gets to have. Discontent is the immature and insecure knee-jerk reaction to what we want. Discontent is the side-winding step-sibling of selfishness. The source of which is not above but below, as James’ epistle reminds us:
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not
boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down
from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
Where envy and selfishness are allowed to go unchecked, things can really get out of hand, as James continues:
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder
and every evil practice.
My dear faith family, there is a better way. First of all, there is The Way, as Jesus describes himself: The Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to God the Father except through him. The devil has the desire and had the right to detour us because selfishness and envy had derailed us. The old liar never stops tempting us and desires us to follow the wrong path. Jesus has taken the guilt and punishment of your envy and my selfishness upon himself. Jesus has placed you on the right road—through faith he carries you. He is the Way.
We have access to heaven not because of good things we have done, but rather because of all that Jesus did in our place—his perfect life. This perfect life is what God demands to have entrance into heaven. We could not do this ourselves. Only Jesus could accomplish this for us. But consider for a moment one amazing part of this perfect life: Jesus was never selfish. Jesus never gave in to envy or discontent. He had no home, no advanced education, no collection of possessions, no authority recognized in society. He was continuously shown disrespect, he was rejected, deserted, berated, beaten, and executed following an illegal trial. Yet through all of this, he never fell to the sins of envy nor selfishness nor discontent.
Amazing! Doesn’t Jesus life of perfection seem all the more amazing when you compare how easily we are tempted toward discontent due to selfishness? Jesus has freed us from the guilt of our sin and sets us on a new path of giving thanks through new actions and a new mindset, as James illustrates:
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-
loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial
and sincere.
Through his Word, Jesus shows us a better way than the old way of selfishness and envy. He is the Lamp for our feet and the Light for our path. You have been freed to strengthen your step upon the new way—the wise way of thankful appreciation for all you have, given you in exact measure by heavenly hands.
Prayer Idea: Take each portion of James 3:17 and make them into a prayer:
“Lord, set my heart and mind on what is pure. Please strengthen me to live my life in a peace-loving way. Direct me to find new ways to be considerate toward others. Help me to be submissive to your will for my life and help me be content with what you give me. Empower me to live life full of mercy, overflowing toward others. Let the Holy Spirit produce abundant good fruit in my life. Help me dedicate myself to being impartial and sincere. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”