You're Not the Boss of MeParaugs

PRAYER:

God, it can be tempting to compare myself with other people. Teach me how to deal with envy and not allow it to take root in my life.

READING:

Envy

King Solomon, considered the wisest man who ever lived except for Jesus, got to the heart of today’s topic when he said:

…envy rots the bones. - Proverbs 14:30

Envy leaves us competing with people who don’t even know there’s a competition. It makes us arrogant when we're more successful or depressed because we fall short. Envy throws us off balance.

But Solomon gave us a word picture to help us regain our balance.

And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. - Ecclesiastes 4:4

Chasing the wind is endless. There’s no finish line. There’s no satisfaction or contentment. If envy becomes the boss of you, you’re chasing the wind and you can’t enjoy your own accomplishments. Dissatisfaction guaranteed.

But Solomon wasn’t suggesting we become lazy or accomplish less. 

Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. - Ecclesiastes 4:5

Don't simply give up and do nothing, but don't stress yourself trying to be someone you're not.

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.  - Ecclesiastes 4:6

Less is more because the result is peace—with yourself and the people around you, especially the people who are most important to you.

Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. - Ecclesiastes 4:7–8

This man didn’t have anyone to leave his wealth to because women could not inherit in that culture. Yet he wasn’t content, and there was no end to his work. 

He finally paused and asked a question.

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” - Ecclesiastes 4:8

In other words: Why am I doing this? What’s driving me? What am I trying to prove? These are questions we need to ask ourselves. 

This too is meaningless… - Ecclesiastes 4:8

There’s no point in striving to compete with what other people are doing. You’ll never experience God's purpose for your life if you're distracted by God's purpose for someone else’s. 

Here’s the phrase that Solomon began all this with. We started with the second half; now here’s the entire sentence:

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. - Proverbs 14:30

You cannot compete or compare your way to peace. You cannot win by chasing the wind. God has given you a race to run, and He's given you a lane to run in. Stay there—and thrive there. And change somebody’s world from there, because envy is extraordinarily self-centered. From the lane God has called you to run in, you can do more for other people, because you will be less concerned about comparing yourself to them.

So, when you find your mind and emotions drifting toward envy and comparison, stop and declare: “Envy, you’re not the boss of me. I will not chase the wind.”

If you’re a Jesus follower, you already have a boss of you—Jesus. And He gave you some specific instructions.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35

Peace and purpose are found when you follow Jesus. You find meaning by becoming a means to an end that’s not you. So follow Jesus. Unlike envy, He will make your life better. And unlike envy, He will make you better at life.

REFLECTION:

Consider this truth: there is no win in comparison. When you’re tempted to compare yourself to others today, choose to be grateful. Count your blessings instead. Your blessings—not your neighbor’s.