And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-6, NIV)
Reading this passage of scripture, I got to wondering what motivates me. I couldn’t help but notice that this scripture is a gentle reminder to keep my envy in check.
Common sense will tell us that the wind can never be harnessed; neither can lust for this world. It seems that regardless of what my goal is or what object I hope to possess, finally reaching that goal only leaves me hungry for more.
Jealousy is a dangerous thing that can creep up unnoticed. It brings on stress, a feeling of inadequacy, and sadly it takes our eyes off of our Father’s will for our lives. That’s why it’s so important to always keep it in check.
Many trainers believe that blinders (also known as winkers) are beneficial to race horses because they encourage the animal to pay attention to the race ahead. One of the biggest distractions in a race can be the crowd, another would be the other contestants.
In much the same way, we are far more productive when we focus on the plan ahead rather than checking out the competition and the crowds that they draw.
Once you start looking over the fence, you can’t help but notice green grass. And when you’re too focused on the blessings of others you miss the ones right under your feet.
God will bless you in His own way and in His own time. In fact, I’d venture to say that He’s blessing you this very moment in countless ways. It might not look the same as the way that He’s blessing your neighbor, but you can be certain that He’s got your best interest at heart.
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Tilling the Soil
Read 2 Samuel Chapters 11-12 where we find one of the most famous stories of envy. What David felt he had to have led him to a pit of sin and brought destruction upon his household.
Planting Hope
And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-6, NIV)
Make an effort to meditate on this part of the verse in particular: Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
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Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
Facebook: @timewarpwife
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You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife