I was believing God to get a project started in our ministry. I discovered a friend of mine had something of such already going on in his own ministry. I was excited to know that. We quickly packaged a seed and sowed it to his ministry. God came through for us in an unusual way. Rather than envying my friend, I rejoiced at what God is doing in his life and ministry, and also tapped into it.
Friend, one way to hurt yourself in life and delay your journey in destiny is to live in envy. Envy is a silent but destructive work of the flesh in the lives of a lot of people today (Galatians 5:21, 26). It is the reason behind heartaches and dissatisfactions. It is the reason behind a lot of rat races going on in the world today. It is one reason people open up themselves to the devil without knowing. When the devil sees an atmosphere of strife and envy, he tabernacles there to perpetuate his evil deeds (James 3:16).
Strive not with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm” (Proverbs 3:30). This is a wise counsel worth heeding. “Strive not with a man…”. The truth is, strife is not necessary; even if the other person has done you harm. You need to live light and free. You need to protect your emotional health. You need to provide an atmosphere of peace in your heart and life that can allow God to work in you and for you (James 3:17-18). You need to stop the envy. Don’t make your heart a war zone. Let the peace of God in (Philippians 4:6-7).
I discovered early in life that, no matter how good you are, there will always be people who are doing better than you and those who are not up to you. Those who are ahead of you must not provoke you to envy while those who are not up to you must not cause you to be proud. Life is in phases and men are in sizes. You need to focus on your own journey with God and also celebrate what God is doing in others. God’s blessings upon your neighbour does not stop or reduce your own blessing. Life is turn by turn. Your time is still coming, things will still turn for you.
When you lose sight of your future and the workings of God in your life, you would easily give in to envy and strife. You need to constantly remind yourself that God is at work in each of us, even if it does not appear obvious. Also know that our times and processes are different. Celebrate what God is doing in the lives of others while believing God for yours. Find a way to contribute to their lives; sow seeds. Pray for them. Live a life of gratitude and positive attitude towards God and people. Know that what God does for one, He can do for others. You will succeed!
© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria