Finding Contentment: Overcoming Envy and Comparison

The great thing about Instagram, it really is, the great thing about Instagram is that it is a constant reminder, and we all need reminding of this, it is a constant reminder that there really is no win in comparison. There is absolutely, you've heard me say that before. There really is no win in comparison. [00:02:17]

Jesus said it perfectly. Here's how he set up and this is where we're going for the rest of the series. He said this, he said, "Don't you see," talking to his disciples, "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and out of the body," to which they said as we said last week, yes, we see that. [00:03:39]

King Solomon, considered the wisest man who ever lived next to Jesus, said this, he just goes right at it. He says, "Envy rots the bones." Envy rots the bones. In other words, when we are envious, we're focused on someone out there and what they've done and what they have and who they raised and how smart their grandkids are and how cool their car is. [00:09:05]

He says, "Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind." It's better to have one handful of what you were designed to do and what you were created for than to have two handfuls when one of those handfuls is causing you, is just stressing you out because you're trying to keep up with someone you'll never keep up with. [00:17:23]

God has given you a race to run, as a parent, as a professional, as a student, as a mentor, as an athlete, as a coach, as the teacher, as whatever it might be. God has given you a race to run. He's given you a lane to run in. So stay there and thrive there. And here's the most important part. [00:29:44]

You look at other people for inspiration, not imitation. Read biographies. Be inspired by their stories. Don't be afraid of their success. Envious and people who are eaten up with envy, they don't even like to hear about other people's success. They have a hard time celebrating with other people. Use other people's stories as inspiration not imitation. [00:31:09]

He says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but it's envy that rots the bones." In other words, you cannot compete. You cannot compete or compare your way to peace. You cannot compete or compare your way to peace. You cannot win by chasing the wind. [00:35:04]

And do you know what it does? It allows you to work harder with more peace. You work harder, you get more accomplished with more contentment and you begin to measure success differently. Now, I'm still trying to figure this out because this is a tension to manage. So every day, in some capacity, I find myself saying under my breath, "Envy, mm-mm, you're not the boss of me." [00:39:54]

You cannot compete or compare your way to peace. You cannot win by chasing the wind. Now, here's the thing if you're a Christian. God has given you a race to run, as a parent, as a professional, as a student, as a mentor, as an athlete, as a coach, as the teacher, as whatever it might be. [00:45:59]

Celebrate what everybody else is doing and leverage who you are and the opportunities that come your way in order to serve and celebrate other people. That's where the peace is found. And ultimately, that's where purpose is found as well. So last question and we're done. Is it possible, this is so hard to admit. [00:48:12]

If you chase the wind for too long, if you do what's meaningless for too long, your entire life becomes meaningless. Because as I've told you before, the way you find meaning is by becoming a means to an end that's not you and envy will draw you in and suck you in to self-centeredness that drains your life of meaning. [00:51:56]

So, let's follow Jesus. Unlike envy, he will make your life better and unlike envy, he will make you better at life. [00:54:47]