Broken For Building

Jealousy and envy start with a small thought and then it grows into a huge tree whose roots are deeply entrenched deep in the soil. Once the roots have been given the space and time to grow, it can be almost impossible to root out.  If we are honest, we can all remember times when others were recognized for doing something great or when others were advancing and we felt jealousy and envy creep up on us.  Sometimes we get frustrated, jealous, and annoyed when we see people shining and doing great things in their lives or their ministries.  Often times, our fear stems from the following:

2. We are afraid that the talents and gifts of others will surpass ours and make what we have look worthless.
3. Our own personal insecurities are glaringly obvious when others succeed in our areas of weakness.

Here’s something we all need to accept. There is room for us all to shine in Christ. There is ample room for us all to shine in Christ and another person’s ability to shine has nothing to do with my ability to shine and vice versa. In fact, envy and jealousy only dims our own light because it seeps out in our interactions and relationships.

Instead of thinking of it as one spotlight, we should consider this: God in his awesome power possesses this grand stage with millions of people, all of whom have their own spotlight and their own unique role. With each one fulfilling his/her role, an awesome production comes forth.

No one is stealing from another in order to fulfill the assigned role. Instead, when one person is spectacular at a given assignment, more people are encouraged to see the production.  And that production leads people to the kingdom of God. So when that twinge of jealousy comes or that thought that “why is this person always getting accolades?” Remember Matthew 5:14-16 which reminds us of that our light cannot be hidden. Instead of feeling down when the lights of others are blazing bright around us, remember that God’s greater purpose is bigger than you.