Life Lesson #15 - Hungry

Life Hack #15:

Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—that’s where your future lies. Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing. (Proverbs 23:17-18)

That ugly, green-eyed monster often known as jealousy or better known as discontent can grab onto us so quickly. Discontent breeds all manner of other issues, so it is best nipped in the bud before it festers and multiplies! Envy enters in anytime we think someone else has any advantage we don't have in life. We might not know how frequently we actually evaluate ourselves in light of what we see another "have" - whether it is knowledge, privilege, or possession. When we sense this "discontent" with what the other person seems to have or get, it can lead to a lot of ugliness in our lives we really don't want to deal with later on!

Discontent is really a sense of inequity. If you haven't already figured it out - all things are NOT equal in this life! We are all created different sizes, shapes, hair colors, skin tones, with different IQs, and born into different families. There is one place that makes the "playing field" level for all - the family of God. Regardless of station in life, aptitude, or attitude - all are equal in his eyes. All are sinners. All stand in need of a Savior. All have fallen short of the glory he intended for their lives. All need the sanctifying work of the cross. 

No one can make another grow any faster - even when well fed and in an environment which fosters growth. Growth is individualized and a response of one's inner man to the forces surrounding him/her. Growth, or maturity, may not be equal because we each embrace things we are taught in different times, perhaps even with different interpretations of what is taught, but learned from the same lesson. This makes us unique - equally human and in need, but not equal in the application of truth.

God knows discontent makes for a lot of messy stuff later on if allowed to take root. It damages relationships, causes us to struggle with issues of pride, and then leaves us just wanting more, but believing we will never have what it is we desire. Guard yourselves well against discontent because it will leave you destitute! Is it possible for discontent to drive us closer to God and his purposes in our lives? When it is recognized early and does not become a thing which drives us into the realms of envy and jealousy, that may be possible. Envy or jealousy carries the attitude of wishing "ill will" on another. It goes beyond motivating us to search for things which will drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus - causing us to turn inward, feel deprived, and then complaining bitterly about our deprived state.

In the hands of God, it can be turned into an opportunity to open our arms and heart to receive something new from God - something we may not even have known we really needed in our life, but which he knows will bring us tremendous blessing. Discontent has a way of motivating us - but we need to make sure our motivations are God-driven. In the course of time, we will see that he takes this discontent with whatever our inability is, and he begins to drive us deeper into his hope, promises, and the privilege that comes with being a child of God. In this sense, discontent has an advantage in our life - it creates a hunger.

We need to be aware of our hunger, though - for not all hunger is to be fed. When discontent enters, the very best thing we can do is ask God if this is him creating the desire, or our "self" getting us into the region of envy. With this in mind, we will be sure to avoid the pitfalls of envy but allow godly discontent to be built into a driving force which propels us forward into the good things God desires for our lives. Just sayin!

Principle 14: Know Your Advantages

It is easy to get caught up in envy - that ugly, green-eyed monster often known as jealousy or better known as discontent.  Discontent breeds all manner of other issues, so it is best nipped in the bud than allowed to fester and multiply!  Really, in the simplest terms, envy enters in anytime we think someone else has any advantage we don't have in life.  Yep, ANY advantage! We often don't know how frequently we evaluate ourselves in the light of what we see another "have" - whether it is knowledge, privilege, or possession.  Some allow a little discontent to breed when they consider how easily someone can get into the scriptures, or launch in to a prayer for another in need.  Others allow it to fester when they see someone get cut slack where no slack would be rendered if it were them.  Regardless of how we sense this "discontent" with the what the other person seems to have or get, it can lead to a lot of ugliness in our lives we'd probably not like to deal with later on!

Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—

That’s where your future lies.  Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing. (Proverbs 23:17-18 MSG)

Discontent multiplies whenever one senses an inequity.  Let me be the first to tell you this if you haven't already figured it out - all things are NOT equal in this life!  We are all created different sizes, shapes, hair colors, skin tones, with different IQs, and into different families.  Yet, there is one place we come into which makes the "playing field" level for all - the family of God. Regardless of station in life, aptitude, or attitude - all are equal in his eyes. All are sinners.  All stand in need of a Savior.  All have fallen short of the glory he intended for their lives.  All need the sanctifying work of the cross. In short, all are equal.  No one can make another grow any faster - even when well fed and in an environment which fosters growth.  Growth is individualized and a response of one's inner man to the forces surrounding him/her.  Growth, or maturity, may not be equal because we each embrace things we are taught in different times, perhaps even in different interpretations of what is taught, but exactly from the same lesson.  This makes us unique - equally human and in need, but not equal in the application of truth.

The various things which lead to discontent in our lives is what God is after here - because he knows it makes for a lot of messy stuff later on if allowed to take root.  Discontent damages relationships, causes us to struggle with issues of pride, and then leaves us just wanting more, but believing we will never have what it is we desire.  Guard yourselves well against discontent because it will leave you destitute!  Now, is it possible for discontent to drive us closer to God and his purposes in our lives?  Yes, when it is recognized early and does not become a thing which drives us into the realms of envy and jealousy.  Envy or jealousy carries the attitude of wishing "ill will" on another. It goes beyond motivating us to search for things which will drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus - causing us to turn inward, feel deprived, and then bemoan our deprived state.

Discontent in the hands of God can be turned into an opportunity to open your arms and heart to receive something new from God - something you may not even have known you really needed in your life, but which he knows will bring you tremendous blessing.  Discontent has a way of motivating us - but we need to make sure our motivations are God-driven and not self-driven.  For example, when I see someone take a portion of scripture and easily describe how this scripture applies to everyday living, making it sound so simple and easy to apply, I could be envious of the individual's ability to do so.  Or...if I hear what our passage says today, it could drive me to turn to God and ask him to show me the ways to study so that I become aware of what the Word of God says, how it can apply to my life, and what he would want me to "get" from the Word each day.  In time, I will see that he takes this discontent with my inability to study the Word myself as a means to begin to drive me deeper into his Word, allowing his Holy Spirit to open it afresh to me.  In this sense, discontent has an advantage in my life - it created a hunger.

We need to be aware of our hunger, though - for not all hunger is to be fed. When discontent enters, the very best thing we can do is ask God if this is him creating the desire, or our "self" getting us into the region of envy.  With this in mind, we will be sure to avoid the pitfalls of envy, but allow godly discontent to be built into a driving force which propels us forward into the good things God desires for our lives.  Just sayin!

The Green-Eyed Monster

We all have moments when we just "envy" the other guy a little bit, don't we?  As hard as we try to resist the green-eyed beast we call "jealousy", it rears its ugly head and we are seeing things through eyes of envy and self-defeat.  It is an age-old problem, indeed.  Did you ever stop to consider just how blessed you are, even if you don't possess all the luxuries the other guy seems to possess?


^21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence.  I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.  ^25-28 You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful.  Look!  Those who left you are falling apart!  Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.  But I'm in the very presence of God—oh, how refreshing it is!   I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! (Psalm 73:21-28 The Message)


Our writer had one of those moments of self-pity.  The shadows of deepening depression engulfing him as he stopped to consider the "people at the top" - those we'd say "made it".  They live pampered lives - styling the latest fashions, sporting the newest fads and trends, not a care in the whole wide world.  Yet, he describes several characteristics of these individuals which tell us a great deal:


- They use words to kill.  They have a huge outward show of importance, elegance, and sophistication - yet their words betray the emptiness of their hearts and the lack of connection within their spirit to anything outside of their own motives.


- They are full of hot air.  They talk big, but really have little substance.  


- They get away with everything.  He sees the riches amassing and thinks God must be looking the other way.  In dealings of the everyday business, they succeed - honest or not.  They just don't "play by the rules" and it has seemingly "worked" for them.


Oh, how easy it becomes to envy those who seem to have it made, huh?  Yet, if we stop to consider the true "emptiness" of their lives, we might just turn that envy into pity - not for ourselves, but for them!  A little later, he says, "When I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache!"  This stuff just doesn't make sense to one who serves God!  We see the wicked exceedingly at ease in their success and the righteous facing struggles.  It is easy to get confused about who is really blessed, huh?


Take the message in context.  Our writer tells us of the conundrum we all face - understanding how the wicked succeed and the righteous struggle.  He seeks to help us unravel this mystery by changing our perspective - how we view the success of the wicked and the blessing of the righteous.  As one struggling with envy, we are described as "dumb oxen" in the presence of the Almighty God.  What do oxen do?  They pull!  What does envy do?  It pulls us!  Does it pull us closer to God, or farther away?  


I daresay, it pulls us in the opposite direction than God would have us to travel!  In the presence of God, we find ourselves undone.  As we change perspectives - seeing the success of the wicked through the eyes of God - we see things we never really saw before.  Things like the abuse of power, the painful inflicting of wounds with words, or the insincerity of their heart.  Then we feel the hand of God - taking us gently, guiding us closer to him.  There we find something the wicked don't have - foundation!


We might envy the "glamour" of the wicked - the glitz, the showy pretense - but we've got something they don't possess.  We have rock-firm foundation - the presence of God in our lives.  It may not seem like much at first, but when we let that sink in, really beginning to settle our minds, bring stability to our emotions, and to strengthen our resolve to live pure lives, we begin to display "fine-linen" attire that far "out-styles" the trendy clothes of the wicked!  We find the words of our lips to be far more "elegant" and "uplifting" than those of the "big talking".  We may not always "get away" with stuff, but we are made stronger by what God encounters.  


Truly, like the psalmist, we can say, "We are in the presence of God - how refreshing it is!"