THINK TOGETHER.
Whose life do you wish you had?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 14:30. A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
Like jealousy, to envy someone is to want their life.
“I wish I could be like so-and-so.”
“Why doesn’t God give me what he gave them?”
“Their life is so much better than mine.”
“You don’t treat me the way you treat them.”
Envy means you aren’t happy when someone else is rewarded, you just wish it had been you. You inwardly complain that you don’t have what others have. The person with envy is rarely content, rarely happy, and rarely satisfied. This is why Solomon says that envy rots the bones. It eats you up inside.
The opposite of this kind of envy is what we see in the first part of our proverb – a tranquil heart. This is the person who is peaceful inside. They don’ need more than what God has given to them. They are glad to be who they are and they don’t need to be anyone else.
Which are you? Envious of others, or at peace with who you are? Having Jesus living in our hearts should answer this question for us.
Because of Jesus we never have to envy another person.
With Jesus we can be content with all God has given us and made us to be.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Make a list of “envy words” (jealous, take) and “gratitude words” (give, thanks, share). Try to come up with five words for each list. Now circle the words that you have either said or done so far today. What does this reveal about you? Are you envious or thankful?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, free me from my envy by reminding me that I have all I need from you. Amen.
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