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5/28/13

Devotional for 5/28/13

ENJOY NOT ENVY

My emotions flipped back and forth when my pastor started his message: Generosity is an Attitude of the Heart. It was conviction I was feeling because I have been generous in the past but I have been meaning to start sowing some financial seed into two ministries and I still haven't 'gotten around to it' or 'not ready to start yet' for months now.

Then another arrow seemed to shoot out of the pastor's mouth and fly right into my heart!

 "Stop envying what others have;
just enjoy the fact that they have received God's promises of blessing."
 
I instantly knew that that truth was for me! Sometimes I am content but sometimes I look at things that other people have and 'sigh'. I might not actually say to myself, "Oh, I wish I had that." But in my heart I am envying what I see.


This reminder to wait on God, to trust Him, and to be content during the process was just what I needed to hear. I look into my past and see the many miraculous times He provided for me and I am humbled. I determined right then to begin to train my heart and mind to enjoy and not envy.

Later as I entered the slow moving crowd of people in the aisle I leaned over and told a stranger that I was enjoying her shoes. She smiled and whispered back that she was enjoying my sweater. God is so good to show us that we are not alone.




You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled;
 [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.]
You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain
 [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek],
 so you fight and war.
 You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive,
 because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives.
Your intention is [when you get what you desire]
 to spend it in sensual pleasures. 
James 4:2-3 The Amplified
 
Dear Lord, thank You for bringing this sinful habit to my attention. Thank You for pouring Your wisdom through my pastor's mouth to send me to the tools I may use to fight this desire in myself. In Your Son's precious name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins
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1 comment:

  1. Women's Focus MinistriesMay 28, 2013 at 10:56 PM

    Sometimes it is hard to actually realize that when we wonder why not me or what is it about her that she seems to get everything...we are so filled with self righteous and self pity that we miss the point that instead of being happy about our own blessings in our envy we steal our own happiness and contentment. Also. we hurt and offend God.

    Good topic Mary that provided me a lot to think about.

    God bless...

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