Post by Jack Ferriman on Mar 12, 2021 21:17:19 GMT
"For I was envious of the arrogant."
We all feel envy and most of the time we do it without knowing that we are. It is such a natural thing for sinners to do. Perhaps every day, someplace, at some moment we want what someone else has. Every day we are jealous for the possessions, position, realationship status or prominence of another person. There is probably never a day when we are free of envy.
Maybe you're standing on the corner and someone drives by in a BMW. Or maybe you see someone coming out of an upscale restaurant and just for a moment you want their life. Or maybe you've just heard about your neighbor's vacation and you wonder how they pulled that off. Or perhaps it's dreaming of being a world champion. Or maybe its a dark moment when your mind thinks about being with another despite their relationship status. Or it could be as mundane as wishing that you were as slim as Sally or as athletic as Josh. Or perhaps you spend too much time being a YouTube voyeur on the lives of the rich and famous. Or maybe your struggle with envy is not so well defined. Maybe it shows itself by making complaints. Perhaps it shows itself in constant feelings of dissatisfaction. Or maybe it's revealed by irritation that bubbles below the surface all the time. It is safe to say; if you're a sinner, envy lurks around the corner all the time.
You see, envy gets right to the heart of what sin is about. The inertia of sin is inward. It causes me to shrink my world down to the size of my life. It causes me to daily worship at the altar of my wants, my needs, and my feelings. Sin puts me at the center of my existence; the one place that neither I nor any other human being should be. Sin causes me to be obsessed with what I have and don't have, with what I have in comparison to what others have, and with what I've determined I need to have in order to be happy. Sin causes love of others to be replaced with entitlement, and service of others to be replaced with demand. Sin makes me quickly impatient and easily irritated. Sin makes it easier for me to complain than it is to praise. Sin makes complaining more natural than thankfulness. Sin causes my eyes to be bigger than my stomach and my "I wants" to constantly outsize my "I haves."
So, it is no wonder that envy is such a problem for us. But The Church of Cross... By his grace he can help you to see what your envy reveals about your heart and your continued need of his rescuing, restoring, empowering, forgiving, and transforming grace. Your particular struggle with envy is a window into the real struggles of your heart. Let me explain.
1. Envy is a window on the true treasures of our hearts. Envy tells us that we still look for satisfaction in things that do not have the organic capacity to satisfy the craving of our hearts. Who or what you envy tells you what you treasure.
2. Envy is a window on how easily and consistently we forget. We do have the amazing ability to stand in front of a closet that is bulging with clothes and say that we don't have a thing to wear. We do have the capacity to stand in front of a refrigerator filled with food and say there is nothing to eat. And we do have the ability to stand in the middle of lavish blessing and feel as if we are poor and needy. Envy forgets blessing and in forgetting blessing assumes poverty and in assuming poverty gives way to hunger and this feeling of hunger tempts us to look to and long for what simply will not satisfy.
3. Envy is a window on the war within. Envy is a reminder. Envy is a warning. Envy is the sounding of an internal alarm. Envy tells you that you must not live with a peace-time mentality. Envy tells you that this is not the time to chill and relax. Envy reminds you that there really is a war that is still raging for the rulership of your heart. Envy calls you to be a humble and disciplined soldier. Envy calls you to examine your heart and interrogate your desires. Envy calls you to live watchfully and prayerfully. Envy warns you to reject assessments of arrival. To the degree that you crave what you Father has not chosen to give you, to that degree you heart is still out of step with him. The fight still goes on.
Now, maybe after reading this you're hearing this and thinking, what does this have to do with the roulette? Why say it? Becaus The Church of Crosse is the way. Because through him everything can be achieved. No more worshipping false gods. No more begging for things you can never have.
By the Unholy Son you can achieve great things. If only you bent down and gave thanks.
So it is written.
Reach out and touch faith.
We all feel envy and most of the time we do it without knowing that we are. It is such a natural thing for sinners to do. Perhaps every day, someplace, at some moment we want what someone else has. Every day we are jealous for the possessions, position, realationship status or prominence of another person. There is probably never a day when we are free of envy.
Maybe you're standing on the corner and someone drives by in a BMW. Or maybe you see someone coming out of an upscale restaurant and just for a moment you want their life. Or maybe you've just heard about your neighbor's vacation and you wonder how they pulled that off. Or perhaps it's dreaming of being a world champion. Or maybe its a dark moment when your mind thinks about being with another despite their relationship status. Or it could be as mundane as wishing that you were as slim as Sally or as athletic as Josh. Or perhaps you spend too much time being a YouTube voyeur on the lives of the rich and famous. Or maybe your struggle with envy is not so well defined. Maybe it shows itself by making complaints. Perhaps it shows itself in constant feelings of dissatisfaction. Or maybe it's revealed by irritation that bubbles below the surface all the time. It is safe to say; if you're a sinner, envy lurks around the corner all the time.
You see, envy gets right to the heart of what sin is about. The inertia of sin is inward. It causes me to shrink my world down to the size of my life. It causes me to daily worship at the altar of my wants, my needs, and my feelings. Sin puts me at the center of my existence; the one place that neither I nor any other human being should be. Sin causes me to be obsessed with what I have and don't have, with what I have in comparison to what others have, and with what I've determined I need to have in order to be happy. Sin causes love of others to be replaced with entitlement, and service of others to be replaced with demand. Sin makes me quickly impatient and easily irritated. Sin makes it easier for me to complain than it is to praise. Sin makes complaining more natural than thankfulness. Sin causes my eyes to be bigger than my stomach and my "I wants" to constantly outsize my "I haves."
So, it is no wonder that envy is such a problem for us. But The Church of Cross... By his grace he can help you to see what your envy reveals about your heart and your continued need of his rescuing, restoring, empowering, forgiving, and transforming grace. Your particular struggle with envy is a window into the real struggles of your heart. Let me explain.
1. Envy is a window on the true treasures of our hearts. Envy tells us that we still look for satisfaction in things that do not have the organic capacity to satisfy the craving of our hearts. Who or what you envy tells you what you treasure.
2. Envy is a window on how easily and consistently we forget. We do have the amazing ability to stand in front of a closet that is bulging with clothes and say that we don't have a thing to wear. We do have the capacity to stand in front of a refrigerator filled with food and say there is nothing to eat. And we do have the ability to stand in the middle of lavish blessing and feel as if we are poor and needy. Envy forgets blessing and in forgetting blessing assumes poverty and in assuming poverty gives way to hunger and this feeling of hunger tempts us to look to and long for what simply will not satisfy.
3. Envy is a window on the war within. Envy is a reminder. Envy is a warning. Envy is the sounding of an internal alarm. Envy tells you that you must not live with a peace-time mentality. Envy tells you that this is not the time to chill and relax. Envy reminds you that there really is a war that is still raging for the rulership of your heart. Envy calls you to be a humble and disciplined soldier. Envy calls you to examine your heart and interrogate your desires. Envy calls you to live watchfully and prayerfully. Envy warns you to reject assessments of arrival. To the degree that you crave what you Father has not chosen to give you, to that degree you heart is still out of step with him. The fight still goes on.
Now, maybe after reading this you're hearing this and thinking, what does this have to do with the roulette? Why say it? Becaus The Church of Crosse is the way. Because through him everything can be achieved. No more worshipping false gods. No more begging for things you can never have.
By the Unholy Son you can achieve great things. If only you bent down and gave thanks.
So it is written.
Reach out and touch faith.
Well howdy there pardner.