I am one of those people who ride around neighborhoods that I would like to live in, enjoy seeing all of the lovely homes, and then by the end of the cruise, I am in a bad mood because I am comparing those homes to where I actually live and getting upset about my condition in life. God has dealt with me again and again about the sin of envy. I praise Him for His patience and mercy with me! I am learning the lesson, albeit slowly.

I am not trying to say that all of the people living in these beautiful homes are sinners, but probably some of them are, perhaps most of them. But their relationship with God is not my concern when it’s my own heart and envy that I have to deal with as I pass by in my car. I am getting better. Now I can see a beautiful home and note its nice features, wish I had such a home and move on without having it affect me mentally and emotionally for hours afterwards. So, that’s what I meant by saying that I am getting better.

But it’s not always physical things that I envy; sometimes what I desire and what makes me turn green inside is just something someone has that I don’t. Many times, it is what I think they may have, not necessarily the reality. For example, I had my book club at the library last night. We got to talking about grandchildren and one of the members said how lucky she feels to have her grandchildren live within a few miles of her. I could sense the hurt and anger starting to overwhelm me because of the distance from me to my beloved grandchildren. I silently asked for help to overcome my feelings and continued the conversation with this lovely lady. Come to find out, she does have two grandchildren who live out west, even more distant than mine and she only sees them maybe once a year. Sometimes, I find that I envy when I should be consoling instead. Thus, we compared distances and visits last night and I ended up about even. Nothing to be jealous about and much to be thankful for!

If I always had an attitude of fear, of reverence and awe, before the Lord, I don’t think that envy would keep rearing its ugly head. Now I recognize the sin for what it is and ask God to help me to be content where I am. He always comes through for me because He loves me and is willing to continue to teach me to be more like Him. After all, Jesus had no home here on earth. He was a wanderer, a missionary of the highest order sent from God to tell people about His Father’s great love and plan for forgiveness. I seek to be more like Him and hope that you do, too. Fear of the Lord is my 24/7 goal and I hope that is yours, too. I’m not there yet, but I am at least walking in the right direction, even if it means I have to do what I did last evening and stop, reflect, and listen carefully to God’s small voice inside me. Blessings as you continue on life’s journey today!