Day 3: The Result of Envy: Part II
Have you ever stopped to consider your level of contentment in life? Perhaps it would be better to ask it this way: On a scale of 1-10, how content are you right now?
As you may have guessed, one of the things that leads us away from contentment — is envy. Not only that, but envy is the one thing that has the potential to completely suck the joy out of our lives.
Regarding the seven deadly sins, scholar Joseph Epstein writes that each of these sins may lead to a temporary satisfaction…except for envy. He writes, “Giving into sloth and laziness, is rather pleasant. Giving into a loss of temper, entails a release that is not without its small delights. And lust, greed, pride, bring quite a bit of pleasure…Only envy is absolutely no fun at all, draining all joy from you from its very first moment. We have all felt envy’s desperate deep soul-destroying lacerating stabs.”
From a Christian perspective, all sin leads us away from our ability to fully trust God (Galatians 5:19-21). But in his research, Epstein concludes that envy is the one thing that most drains joy from our lives. As you read today, consider this: On a scale of 1-10, how content are you right now?
READING:
James 4:1-17
On a scale of 1-10, how content are you right now? Is it possible that envy is the one thing that is completely sucking the joy out of your life?
Think about a time in your life when you were experiencing the most contentment and joy. What was that season of your life like? Were you experiencing much envy?
What scripture verse in James chapter 4 stuck out to you most in your reading today? How will you apply this verse throughout the rest of the week?
God is inviting you to root out any and all envy you may be experiencing in your life. Have you scheduled a time to meet with a trusted friend to talk with them about your envy?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, while I may not be living in complete discontentment, I realize that I could (and should) have more contentment than I’m currently experiencing. Today, my desire is to simply praise You for all of the good I have in my life, and not disparage others for what they have. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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