Seeing Through the Fog Week 4
Sharable notes for the May 15, 2022 message. You can post these notes on your social platform!
Scriptures used: Ecclesiastes 4:4; James 3:14-16; Psalms 73; Romans 12:15; 2 Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 6:4; Psalms 34:8; Proverbs 14:30; Psalms 84:10-12
Passages referenced: John 21:20-22; Philippians 4:11-13
Envy will take you from a position of discontentment to resentment, causing you to resent others, your own choices and to resent God.
Envy distorts our view of others. We are misled in what we believe about their life, causing us to often think less of our own.
Envy distorts our view of ourselves. We are misled about our own life, thinking it's less than it should be only because we want what others have.
Paul taught us that we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who mourn, but envy causes us to do the opposite.
Envy causes us to compare and compete, but as someone once said, if you "compare and compete you live in defeat."
Envy distorts our view of God and God's goodness. We judge our blessings compared to someone else through a distorted view and believe God's not good.
Eve in the garden couldn't enjoy all God had given her for enjoyment because she was led to believe there was something else she was missing out on. Envy makes us think that even paradise isn't good enough.
Envy destroys our peace, our joy, and our ability to be content.
Steps to overcome envy:
Reflect on God's goodness and His kindness that was shown through the cross. The cross is proof that no good thing does the Heavenly Father withhold from us.
Hold onto the future eternity God has for those in Christ Jesus. "Those who know good awaits them in heaven can be content with having little on earth." Jen Wilkins
Understand as Paul said that with Christ as your source and central focus, you CAN learn to be content.
You were born with a longing for something more than this world has to offer. Christ is the only one who can fill that void. When He becomes all you need, envy will have a hard time convincing you that you need anything else.
Reflect or meet with someone to discuss:
Do you find yourself discontent with the way things are in your life, or the things that you have?
Have you been resentful of others because of the way things appear in their life, or because of what they have?
What do you think causes you to feel discontent or even resentful towards others? Think through your conversations, all you watch, what you look at, and how you spend your time. Be honest with yourself.
Where in your schedule can you set aside some time to thank God for his blessings in your life, and to reflect on what Christ has done for you through the cross?
Click the image to start a new 5 day devotion in YouVersion:
Do you know that feeling? That heart sting when someone else receives the very thing you desire—when your best friend gets engaged, your sister gets pregnant, or your coworker gets the promotion. You tell yourself you’re happy for her, but you feel a hint of something else. That something is envy. Read what scripture has to say about envy, God’s glory, and joy found on the other side.