Another Fellow's Blessings

Harold Coffin said, “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” Are you in the habit of counting someone else’s blessings? Do you see the boats, cars, homes, clothes, and jewelry of others, rather than your own blessings? Perhaps you are struggling with envy in one way or another right now. In the great “Love Chapter” of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, we learn that “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” We cannot love someone and envy them at the same time. For when we envy them, we wish we had what they have … and we wish they did not have it. This is a truly miserable viewpoint for life. The way out of envy begins with four steps: *Remember that this world is not our home and all of these things will be burned up in the last day. You are actually envious of ashes! *Remember that God has blessed you so much and in so many ways you cannot write them all down! Why are you worried about someone else? *Remember that envy is a lack of trust in God to give you what you really need. *Remember to pray for the person of whom you are envious. That person needs Jesus and you need to remember that you need Jesus as well. The shade of green that comes with envy does not look good on anyone. Our focus should be on God's goodness to us in our own life, and not on what others have in their lives.