Only God Gives Us Our Heart’s Desires

When we start to compare ourselves to others, wishing we had what they have and wondering why them and not us, we are on our way to envy. We have to be careful to nip envy in the bud so we don’t fall into sin. What dangerous results envy can lead to! James reminds us to ask God with pure motives because he is the only one who can give us our heart’s desires.

The antidote to envy is gratitude. Gratitude shifts the atmosphere from gloom to joy. God’s gifts are good and each one of us has and is enough. Instead of comparing yourself with others, celebrate that God made us all unique and different. Embrace gratitude. Recently, I discovered that not only are there no two people on earth with the same fingerprints, there are also no two people with the same pattern on their tongues. Why would God spend so much time designing your unique tongue when it is stored away in your mouth almost your entire life?

God created variety within the human species, rather than clones of a single prototype. Unfortunately, a lot of us are swayed by the majority opinion and spend our life trying to live by the same set of rules, fads, or traditions as everyone else. Our families, churches, societies, and even education systems try to give one-size-fits-all solutions to any situation.

We must find out God’s unique plans for our individual lives rather than try to fit into other people’s molds or follow the path everyone else seems to be racing past us on. God is the only one who knows what is his best for us. When we delight ourselves in him, he will give us the desires of our hearts.

Reflect

Reject envy and comparison by starting your own gratitude list today. Write down as many of God’s blessings on your life as you can think of. Spend some time thanking him in prayer.