I've been having an internal debate whether readers really like a series of blogposts that has so many parts - like this one on Spiritual Wait-Lifting. I had pretty much convinced myself to quit this topic, but then a friend remarked how perfectly yesterday's blog addressed her situation. SO - I guess I will continue!As a reminder, we are discussing the habits of 'unfaith' that we can fall prey to when God isn't so quick to answer our prayers. In addition to giving way to doubt, anger, and discouragement, we also need to be aware of this additional temptation:
"Giving way to envy. When I am waiting, it's very tempting to look over the fence and wish for the life of someone who doesn't appear to have been called to wait. It's very easy to take on an "I wish I were that guy" way of living. You can't give way to envy without questioning God's wisdom and his love. Here is the logic: if God really loves you as much as he loves that other guy, you would have what the other guy has. Envy is about feeling forgotten and forsaken, coupled with a craving to have what your neighbor enjoys." (Paul Tripp)
Ouch again. Think for a moment of the many ways envy manifests itself in our lives. We covet people's homes, cars, jobs, spouses; we envy lifestyles, fame, fortune; we even envy the attendance at the church down the road and the neighbor who never has health problems. And then we make matters worse by beginning a pity party focusing on how God must obviously love "___" more than me.
If we would only remember the Cross and the immense demonstration of God's love for us there! How can we continue to envy others when we have been granted eternal bliss? How can we be disgruntled with a wait for an answer from the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings? Let's pray that the Holy Spirit would convict us early and often when we start down this unprofitable and sinful path of unfaith.
Yes how can we keep our mind from envy? What I just saw on the news this morning will stay with me through out the day and I hope will not diminish as time goes by. Total and complete devestation in Haiti, lives changed, forever in just a matter of less than one minute.
ReplyDeleteHere I sit with a fire going, a hot cup of coffee, internet and my bible, a home that needs repair and attending to because of it's age. As I saw the faces, especially the father holding his young daughter, he had the most sorrowful look on his face all I can do is cry "Why God? they just started to rebuild from the last disater, 4 hurricanes last year. They are so poor already and now they have not only lost what they had just rebuilt but worse they lost those whom You had placed in thier lives. Why God, why?"
The timing of the envy blog is God's perfect timing. Look around and let us be thankful for all that God has provided us with, may it be enough and may we give not out of our wealth but out of our poverty as the widow in Luke 21:2-3. And if we can't give for whatever reason then let us lift up our prayers for the lives that have been turned upside down on this fallen earth. "Praise God" that this is only a short pilgrimage and "Praise God" that He has given us each other to walk with that we would not struggle alone. DS