The Importance of Being Me

In Proverbs 14:30 I read, “It's healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up.” (CEV)

To live an abundant life that overflows with God’s goodness, the first thing I need to do is to start being grateful and stop complaining. The second thing is to start being content and stop comparing.

God made me to be me. He doesn’t want me to be anybody else! When I compare myself to others, I get envious and resentful, and may even start to copy them.  

God has never made a clone. God only makes originals. 

Comparing only gets me in trouble. When I compare it causes two problems.

One, I get full of discouragement, because I can always find someone who’s doing a better job than you. And secondly, I can become full of pride, because I can always find someone who’s not doing as good a job as me.

The Bible says, “It is better to be content with what little you have. Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more, and that is like chasing the wind” Ecclesiastes 4:6 (NCV).

Because of social media, it’s easier than ever to compare myself to others. We see posts every day that shout, “Look at me! Look what I can do! Look what I’ve got!” this can draw me into a state of envy and discontent. It can even cause me to try to impress others with my own posts. But the thing is, I don’t have to impress anyone. A key to living a life overflowing with joy is to just be myself, content with who God made me to be.

“It’s healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up” (Proverbs 14:30 CEV).

Contentment comes when I enjoy what I have rather than waiting for something else to make me happy. Stop comparing myself to others, and start being content with what God has given me—and then watch your joy overflow! 

Contentment Is a Sign of Spiritual Maturity

In Ecclesiastes 6:9 I read, “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.” (GNT)

Instead of being regretful, I need to be grateful. Instead of complaining, I need to remember that everything is a gift from God.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4:7-8, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need” (The Message).

Envy always asks, “Why them? Why does he have better health? Why does that person have a job and spouse, and I have neither?”

Gratitude says, “Why me? Why do I get to drink clean water when so much of the world doesn’t? Why am I not under persecution? Why am I not thrown into prison for my faith?”

Envy is based on the myth that I must have more in order to be happier. But it’s just not true. Happiness is a choice. If I’m not happy now, I’m not going to be happy with more. I’m as happy as I choose to be.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 says, “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else” (GNT). This is called contentment—and I need to learn it.

Why? Because by nature no one is content! It is not natural to be content. But it is mature to be content. Babies are discontented. Unless everything is going their way, they’re not satisfied. Maturity is learning to be content when things are not going my way. It’s better to be satisfied with what I have than to always want something more.

Let me clarify. Envy is not desire; desire is good. Envy is not ambition; ambition is good. I ought to be ambitious and work for good things in your life. Envy is not a dream; I ought to have a dream in my life. Envy is not setting goals; dreams, ambitions, goals, and desires are all things that God puts in me.

Envy is resenting other people who have something already and believing the lie that I can’t be happy until I get it too. Instead, learn to be grateful for who I am and what I have. It’s all a gift from God!

In summary, Instead of being regretful, I need to be grateful. Instead of complaining, I need to remember that everything is a gift from God. Isn’t everything I have and everything I am are gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? I already have all I need. Envy asks, Why them? Gratitude says, Why me? Why do I get... Envy is based on the myth that I must have more in order to be happier. Happiness is a choice. I’m as happy as I choose to be. It is better to be satisfied with what I have than to be always wanting something else. This is called contentment. By nature no one is content! It is not natural. But it is mature. Maturity is learning to be content when things are not going my way. It’s better to be satisfied with what I have than to always want something more. Envy is not desire. Envy is not ambition. Envy is not a dream. Envy is not setting goals. Dreams, ambitions, goals, and desires are all things that God puts in me. Envy is resenting other people who have something already and believing the lie that I can’t be happy until I get it too. Instead, learn to be grateful for who I am and what I have. It’s all a gift from God! 

Be careful of Envy, Learn To Be Content Instead

In review of 1 Corinthians 4:7-8 it says, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need.” (The Message)

Instead of focusing so much on what I don’t have and what didn’t happen, I can be grateful for what I do have. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come naturally to me, and not even for the apostle Paul, who said, “I have learned to be content.” Being content is a learning process.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4:7-8, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need” (The Message).

Envy is based on the myth that I need more to be happy. Envy always looks at others and asks, “Why them? Why did they deserve it? I deserve what they have.” But gratitude says, “Why me? Why did God give me this? I’m blessed because I don’t deserve what I have.” It totally flips my perspective.

Although I struggle with envy, it’s hard to admit it because it’s such an ugly emotion. When I’m envious of others, I really want them to fail, because it makes me feel better that they don’t have more than I do. That’s pretty crazy, isn’t it? If I could only learn to be grateful for what I have, I could begin to get rid of these feelings of envy.

It’s important for me to understand that envy is not having a desire or a dream or a goal. Also envy is not looking forward to something or hoping that something can happen in your life or even wondering if I should have something. Envy is instead resenting somebody who already has what I desire or has reached a goal I have yet to obtain. Envy says I can’t be happy until I get that desire or goal. Envy is not being grateful for what I already have.

Yet the Bible reminds me that I already have more than I need and far more than I deserve. Every good thing in my life is a gift from God, and it is up to him to decide when and how he blesses me. It’s up to me to choose to be grateful and make the most of what I’ve been given.

As Ecclesiastes 6:9 says, “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to always want something else” (GNT).

In summary, being content is a learning process. Everything I have and everything I am is a sheer gift from God. So why compare and compete? I have everything I need. Envy is based on a myth that I need more to be happy. Envy looks and asks why them, and I deserve what they have. Gratitude says, why me? I'm blessed because I don't deserve what I have. When I'm envious of others, I enjoy seeing them fail. What I'm learning is the envy is not having a desire, dream or goal. It's not looking forward to something or hoping that something can happen. Envy is resenting somebody who already has what I desire. Envy is not being grateful for what I already have. God's word reminds me that I already have more than I need and far more than I deserve. Every good thing in my life is a gift from God, and it is up to him to decide when and how he blesses me. It's up to me to choose to be grateful and make the most of what I've been given. It is much better for me to be satisfied with what I have than to always be wanting more.

Today’s devotion and verse remind me to be careful of envy. Rather it is better for me to learn to be content instead. It’s easy for me to look around at my peers and see how promotions and responsibilities are happening and my wondering why I’m not seeing the same for me. I must remember that God is teaching me through this process and will bless me in his timing, not mine. I need to continue to be grateful for what I have. Today I pray Father or you and your Spirit to remind me of this perspective. I ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. Help me lead the team to accomplish our goals for the next 30-60 days. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, Amen.

Get to Know Others So You Won’t Envy Them

In review of Matthew 20:9-10 it says,  “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar” (The Message).

What I’m learning is that entrance to Heaven is by God's grace alone. In this parable God is the landowner and believers are the workers. This parable speaks especially to those who feel superior because of heritage or position, to those who feel superior because they have spent so much time with Christ, and to new believers as reassurance of God's grace. This parable is not about rewards but about salvation. It is a strong teaching about grace, God's generosity. I shouldn't begrudge those who turn to God in the last moments of life, because, in reality, no one deserves eternal life. I am to never be jealous or envious of what God has given to another. Rather, I need to focus on God's gracious benefit for me, and to be thankful for what I have.

The key to overcoming envy is to stop comparing myself to others.

Comparison is the root of all envy. And it was the first mistake made in the parable of the vineyard workers: The ones who were hired last “came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more” (Matthew 20:9-10 The Message). In other words, they started making comparisons:  “Look what they’re getting. So we’re going to get more. We deserve more.”

The Bible reminds me over and over again to never compare myself to anybody else for two reasons:

First, I’m unique. God made me special. There’s nobody like me. He made the mold, and then he broke it. I am not comparable to anybody else.

Second, if I do start comparing, it’s always going to lead to one of two sins: pride or envy. When I compare myself to others, I’m either going to think “I’m doing better than them,” and I get full of pride, or “They’re doing better than me,” and I get full of envy. Pride and envy are both sins.

In addition, envy occurs when I don’t really know someone intimately. I can see a person’s strengths and successes from a distance, but it’s only when I get up close that I see their hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Everybody has hidden pain. When I’m looking at people from a distance, it’s a whole lot easier to miss their fears and faults.

There’s no better way to get to know people up close and personal than in a small group. I heard about one woman with multiple sclerosis and lupus who told her small group, “If we all put our problems in a big pile at the center of this room and looked at them, at the end of the evening we’d probably all take our problems back and go home.” When I get to know people closely, I won’t envy them. But I can learn how to pray for them.

Envy isolates me. Fellowship binds me together and helps me get to know others so I can stop comparing myself to others.

In summary, when those who were hired first say what those who were hired last received, they assumed that would get more, but they all got the same. Entrance to Heaven is by God's grace alone. This parable is not about rewards but about salvation. It is a strong teaching about grace or generosity. I shouldn't begrudge those who turn to God in the last moments. For in reality, no one deserves eternal life. So I am never to be jealous or envious of what God has given another. I am never to be jealous or envious of what God has given to another. Rather learn to focus on God's benefit for me and be thankful for what I have. The key to overcoming envy is to stop comparing myself to others. Comparison is the root of all envy. So I shouldn't compare myself because I'm unique and therefore not comparable to anyone else. If I do compare its only going to lead me to pride or envy (both of which are sins). Envy occurs when I don't really know someone intimately. It's easy to see strengths and successes from a distance, but when I get up close I can see hurts, hand-ups, and habits. Everybody has a hidden pain. Envy isolates me, fellowship binds me and helps me get to know others so I can stop comparing myself to others.

Father I pray today, that I will not become too expectant. You give me what I need at the right time and much more than I deserve.