Y'all know what we do each and every Friday! It's time to be a little bit freeER (yeah not a word, lol) in our mind, body, and spirit. So needless to say ENVY has got to get the boot!
ENVY- is described as the desire to have possessions, attributes, and/or qualities that belong to someone else. I oftentimes say I'm not envious. I'm just nosey lol. Because I love to examine people and their habits, lifestyles, etc. I'm like my Grandma Essie and Aunt Lo when it comes to being in other people's business. That's because I'm a problem solver. I love trying to solve other people's problems too. But observing people's life and wishing you had their life is totally different. We have got to stop wanting anything God doesn't want us to want. PERIOD. Wanting what God doesn't want you to want is DANGEROUS!
And wanting anything that God has not given to you is ENVY. ENVY is discontentment in God's plan. Moses gave 10 commandment to the children of Israel. Just 10! And out of all the commandments God could HAVE given to Moses to give to His children guess what He included? ENVY. "You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." — Exodus 20:17
Every single other commandment focused on outward actions but this commandment focused on the inward thoughts. God had already told them don't steal anything that belongs to your neighbor (outward). Don't make any idols (outward). Honor your mother and father (outward). Then He says don't covet (inward thought). Don't even THINK about wanting what I have not given to you. So how do you live by this command?
1. Check your thoughts! Think about what you are thinking about! Thoughts are POWERFUL. They manifest into words and actions to form our very being. So if your thinking is stinking, guess what? Your very being, your presence, your life will stink all because you THOUGHT it so. But on the other hand, what happens when you think positive about your life? You begin to see and appreciate every single good thing in your life! If you check your perspective, I promise you will see your position change! "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." It's a lot we can be thinking about. Let's choose to think on good things!
2. Finally, after you check your thoughts, keep looking up to God. Psalms 121 says, " I will lift up my eyes to heaven. I KNOW my help comes from the LORD." Don't look to the left or right. Don't look over in your friends marriage, their kids success in school, the owner of that businesses bank account, your coworkers promotion. Look to God! The scripture later says "God is the maker of heavens and earth." So if you need anything on this earth or up in heaven why are you looking to anyone except the maker?! When my MK bag breaks, I don't take it to William's Chicken to fix. I take it back to the maker. So let's practice this. Let's take what we need, our desires, our envy, our questions, Let's take them to God.
Ok, this was long but I hope you enjoyed! Happy Friday!