You and I are pleased with what we have…. until we find out someone else got more than us.

This never fails to happen. When I give my youngest daughter 5 cookies, she’s very happy. But when I give her sister 6 cookies, immediately the younger one will protest saying that it’s not fair! And she will not be happy until she gets one more cookie! But what happened? She was perfectly happy with 5 cookies. And it’s not like I took away her 5 cookies. Why is it that when she finds out that her sister got one more cookie than her, she becomes unhappy? Sinful nature.

Sinful nature dictates that our happiness comes not from having things, but having MORE things than others.

Test yourself on this: How do you feel when someone else gets the promotion? How do you feel when someone else gets married? Are you miserable because your state is truly miserable or because you are comparing yourself someone else? Until we stop comparing ourselves to others, we will never be thankful or happy.

This is the point that Jesus makes in Matthew 20:1-16. He tells a story of a boss who hires different workers at different times of the day. Although their start work time was different, their finish time was the same. So the ones hired early worked more hours than the ones hired later. At the end of the day, the workers are compensated for their work. All the workers are paid the same amount – one day’s wage! The ones who were hired early in the day protest to the boss saying that it’s unfair that they get paid the same amount as everyone else who worked less hours than them. But the boss says, “Am I not allowed to do what I chose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” (Matthew 20:15)

When we are jealous or envious, we are begrudging God’s generosity. Isn’t God free to bless anyone He wishes as He pleases? So, if someone in your circle is better looking, smarter, wealthier, more popular than you, you should be happy that God was displaying His generosity. It’s not that God was slighting you. You still got your portion. (Can’t you think of someone else who has it worse than you?) But you just didn’t get as much as someone else you are jealous of.

What if what you deserved is death and hell and you were convinced of it? That crummy apartment you live in is far more than what you deserved….

PH