When You Envy Others, You Deny Your Own Uniqueness:
The Bible says the solution is to see yourself as God does. Psalm 139:13 says, "You knit me together in my mother's womb" (NLT). You are unique and different, and there is nobody like you in the world, so why compare yourself to somebody else?
Making positive changes in life and helping others is always good, but when you strive to be the person God made you to be, that's when you'll find real meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction in living.
Of course, you may be living in the middle of circumstances that make it hard to appreciate your uniqueness and to understand that this is a key factor to moving past envy. Be encouraged! If only you could see all that God does for you and know how tirelessly he works to take care of your needs. He promises to bring good out of every circumstance, mistake, and tragedy.
Recognize your uniqueness. You don't have to envy anybody. You just need to become all that God meant for you to be in the first place.
When I focus on making God number one in my life, remembering that he made me unique and has a plan for my life, then competition becomes irrelevant. That's because I'm not competing with anybody else. I'm unique, and so are you.
Talk About It -
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." His book, "The Purpose Driven Church," was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.
This devotional © 2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
"You knit me together in my mother's womb . Your workmanship is marvelous . You watched me as I was formed ... in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." (Psalm 139:13-16 NLT)God has a custom life just for you, and that means you don't have to imitate someone else's lifestyle! If you focus on God's plan for your life and on pleasing him, you won't be bothered with envy.
The Bible says the solution is to see yourself as God does. Psalm 139:13 says, "You knit me together in my mother's womb" (NLT). You are unique and different, and there is nobody like you in the world, so why compare yourself to somebody else?
Making positive changes in life and helping others is always good, but when you strive to be the person God made you to be, that's when you'll find real meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction in living.
Of course, you may be living in the middle of circumstances that make it hard to appreciate your uniqueness and to understand that this is a key factor to moving past envy. Be encouraged! If only you could see all that God does for you and know how tirelessly he works to take care of your needs. He promises to bring good out of every circumstance, mistake, and tragedy.
Recognize your uniqueness. You don't have to envy anybody. You just need to become all that God meant for you to be in the first place.
When I focus on making God number one in my life, remembering that he made me unique and has a plan for my life, then competition becomes irrelevant. That's because I'm not competing with anybody else. I'm unique, and so are you.
Talk About It -
- Take the time to identify the gifts, talents, and traits that make you unique. Have you praised God for his workmanship that is evident in you?
- What difficult circumstance are you facing today? Ask God to help you trust in his provision and plan in the midst of your circumstances.
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." His book, "The Purpose Driven Church," was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.
This devotional © 2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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