Stepping Stones: Envy=God Doesn’t Know Me

Stepping Stones: Envy=God Doesn’t Know Me
August 26, 2009 Lighthouse Network

Transformational Tip
We’ve spent the last 3 days deconstructing envy…we pray it has been helpful to you. Today, the last in this series on envy, the Tip reveals the destructive, insidious lie, distortion, and belief behind envy. When you envy someone’s possessions (we aren’t talking about Godly traits or living that you see in someone else), what you’re really saying is “I am not content with what I have, I deserve more, that ______ should be mine, not my neighbor’s.” If God makes the decisions regarding who has what, the core belief of envy is…God made a mistake! He didn’t give me what I deserve…in fact, He gave it to someone else.” If God really knows me, or loved me, He would give me what I want or “need”. All part of the plot to make it seem like God isn’t interested in us, doesn’t love us, and can’t help us….the lie also draws us away from God, sabotages the relationship God desires with and from us, then pushes us to rely on ourself.
Today, we are introducing something new. We have developed a blog site to allow for you to give feedback to the rest of this Stepping Stones community. Just click the “Past Devotionals” link below (this takes you to www.SteppingStones-LN.blogspot.com). Scroll to the bottom of today’s devotional and click “comment” and you can make anonymous comments. Write down what you have been envious of this past month and why. What did you think it would bring you? Also, please give us feedback as we tried something different in doing a 4 part series, similar to what we did with forgiveness (Aug 4-7).
P.S. On the blog site, you can also search past devotions by keywords (see the list on the right side), and also comment on any past devotional that was helpful.

Prayer
Dear God, Your love and grace for me are magnificent. Thank You so much for being perfect in all ways. I confess at times I see something another person has and wonder why I don’t have that…and at times my strongly, resent that I don’t have it and believe I deserve one, or even his. I regret, I sadden You as You have given me so much to be grateful for and I am blowing all those gifts off and wishing for the one I think I need, but You know isn’t right for me at this stage of my development and skills. I yearn for a heart that seeks to grow, wants to change, and is willing to have the pain, in order to get the gain. God, I know You will share in that pain and provide peace and comfort, so help me be brave to step one Stepping Stone closer to the life that is within reach. In Jesus’ name I find true contentment and absolution – AMEN!

The Truth
O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
Psalm 139:1-4

Comment (1)

  1. Anonymous 15 years ago

    This is a very timely series for me. I had no idea what envy/jealousy issues I had, because I have been the object of someone else's jealousy in many instances. I think I have been jealous of people who seem to be jealous of me, and get away with it. What a crazy cycle! There is an article in Psychology Today July/August that mentions the pain jealousy can create in people's brains….

    Someone recently said to me, "I hate you because you can run fast without training!" and I wish I could pull that article out and show her that she is creating the pain in her head herself. That would never work, people have to finally become fed up with their own pain, and make a decision to work on something for themselves.

    Thank you for bringing up this very timely topic.

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