I am reading this morning in Proverbs about “envy” and will say that at first reading, I am a bit confused with the below passage.

“³¹Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, ³²for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence.” — Proverbs 3:31-32 (ESV)

You see, when I look at this passage I see that I am not to envy the violent and devious, and in the next part there is reference to the upright. Am I to envy them instead.

Where I know that the answer to the last sentence is NO, I cannot help wondering what someone that only sees this passage would say or think or act on. I know that envy is one of the seven deadly sins, but do others. I know that we should not envy at all, but is that the teachings that are coming from the world I have to ask.

This is a great case for the study of God’s word and not just His words. God’s word is bigger than just the few words found in this passage. In fact, in my concordance there are five passages that I will be studying on the subject of envy. There are countless others that are not in the concordance that should be studied as well (ex. The parable of the prodigal son).

When I look into the sin of envy, there is a lot that is encompassed therein. The passage this morning discusses not to envy violence and deviousness. I have to remember that this is not the only. It is envy that should be focused on, not that which is being envied. It is the envy that leads to the destruction, not the violence and deceit. Yes, violence and deceit are not to be tolerated, but with our focus on avoiding envy, those will be snubbed out.

Envy is that which will drive to other actions. It starts with comparison and then moves to want and then to desire and then to taking actions to obtain and then comes the “at all costs” part which is where violence and deceit come in. I have to avoid the root cause of the violence and deceit and that is envy. I have to demonstrate my content with that which is part of my life and know that what others have or obtain is for them and not for me at that time and then celebrate with them in earnest. My receipt of such things may not be in the plan for me from God and I have recognize that my work for God is of most importance. I have to root out all envy in my life.

What do you have in your life that may have begun with envy? Did you obtain those at all cost? What if you would have simply been content with what you had and sought after pleasing God and removed all envy from your life?

Envy: painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage (Merriam-Webster Online)

I was struck by envy as was presented by my pastor in our service over the weekend. The message was based in Luke and on the prodigal son although not the part that most of us would think. You see, the older, other son was of the envious sort as he the return and celebration of the brother as a slap in the face as he had been there the whole time and devoted himself to the father and the family business. How could the father be so giving to the one that had renounced the family and taken his inheritance and squandered it and then returned to a hero’s welcome while the older son toiled away continuing to work for all that he would later receive.

I have to admit that I was, to some degree, looking in the mirror as relates to certain points in my life. I feel a lack of appreciation for the work I am doing and yet, those that seem to struggle and fail are celebrated for doing something that to others is just a normal part of the job. I feel as though there is an over abundance of joy presented for someone or something that has just met the standard that others have been meeting for some time. What is that saying to the rest of the group.

I have to look inward at my own self and know and remember that what I do is not for me and that the work done by someone else is not the standard I hold to. I serve God and not man. My reward is in heaven and not here in this world. I am not bound by the acceptance or acknowledgment of those around me, but by the acceptance and acknowledgment of God the Father. I am a child of God and am only in this world temporarily, until I have completed that which has been assigned me by God. I have to let others receive that which they receive and celebrate with them knowing that all that comes to me is from God and not of man.

Wow, that seems so easy to do and when done, there is a full release and wave of comfort. But, seeming easy is not the same as being easy. I am a man and want what a man wants. I feel slighted when these things occur and certainly want what others are receiving. And that is why sitting in the sermon titled “The Sin of Envy & The Beauty of Love” is exactly what I needed. I was, as mentioned in my first paragraph, “struck” by the message. I was reminded and convicted of my own sin. I was reminded of the subtle nature of envy. I was convicted of my thoughts and feelings of and for others. I have been at the pity party and need to leave as it is hindering my celebration with others. I am thinking of me and not loving of others as I should. Envy can be small, but lead to bigger things. I have to recognize it for what it is, take on gratitude, and remember the truth of the gospel as noted by my pastor Jared: “The Heart of God is Forgiveness not fairness”.

What things are going on in your life that you think may be unfair? Are you looking to be recognized for what you do, or are you looking to celebrate with others? What if you recognized, showed gratitude, and remember the truth as opposed to wanting more or that which others have?

I have, on multiple occasions, had a splinter in my finger, hand, foot, or some other part of my body. In those instances I have chosen to either deal with the splinter or let it alone hoping that it would work itself out.

Where, there were times, when the splinter did indeed work itself out, it took a very long time and thankfully it was small enough that it caused manageable discomfort. In those times I took the time to remove the splinter, I was able to get relief and move on with everything else in very short order. Yes, there may have been some discomfort at the moment, but relief was quick. And then there were the times when the splinter did not work itself out, and whoa was it difficult to deal with. That splinter festered and became swollen and tender to the touch, so much so that any light graze caused sharp pains. It got so bad that I eventually had to deal with it and in doing so, there was a lot of hesitation, pain, and regret that it seemed to take for ever just to dig it out. And then, there was the time for healing. There was continued pain, and discomfort and picking with it that it took days for the healing process to complete, and I still remember it all.

“⁹Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.” — Ecclesiastes 7:9 (ESV)

Anger will eat at you until it is dealt with. I may be inclined to deal with it by allowing it to subside on its own or I can take action and get it out now. I may have some discomfort with the situation and dealing with the anger, but I will be able to get it out and move on. When the anger is not dealt with, I experience continued pain and swelling and it just seems to fester. I finally have enough and work to deal with it and experience that hesitation and regret to that I had not done anything to that point. And then, once the anger is gone, there is still this feeling that lingers for a good while, sometimes it seems to not subside at all. And then there are the reminders around that show what the anger did to me and others, further extending the discomfort.

I have to remember that anger should be dealt with now and in a very deliberate way. I also have to remember that my anger needs to be directed at the situation and not the person. I have to silently work through it and find the reason that can be worked to relieve the anger. Yes, there will be discomfort in the moment and it will not be a fun experience to work through, but the anger will be gone and likely will be forgotten.

It is easy to be angry, and for sure it is a part of our character as human. It is how I deal with that anger that give me the opportunity to demonstrate the love afforded to me from God. I have a choice to act out or hold back. I have the choice to get it out or allow it to work out. I have to take stock in the degree of discomfort I am will encounter with each.

What anger are you dealing with? Are you allowing it to work itself out and what discomfort are you dealing with? What if you were to deal with it and not let it fester to the point of continued pain and discomfort that lasts well beyond the release?

“⁴Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.” — Psalm 4:4 (ESV)

There is a part of me and likely everyone that when anger comes on, there is the tendency to lash out and let it be known that the wrong has occurred. Am I wrong for having this tendency? I do not believe I am wrong. Humans are emotional beings and we are will lead with emotion in many if not all situations. The thing is that it is not in our or others best interest to allow emotion to take over.

Anger is a very powerful emotion and it should not be ignored. Even God has instances of anger with sin. I believe it is important to “get it out” so that I can somehow begin to deal in rational terms as opposed to the irrational.

In my work as a corporate trainer, I work with customer facing employees that are exposed to situations where the person they are working with are not the happiest of individuals. The people tend to lash out when things are not going their way and frankly I do not blame the employees for getting angry and wanting to defend themselves against attack, as I am sure that you would want to as well. The thing is, anger on both sides does little if anything to help the situation. Things will simply continue to escalate and no one will be heard as both are only listening to the sounds of their own voice.

Look again at verse four in Psalm 4 above. After the first two words, notice the approach that is recommended, do not sin, ponder things, and be silent. All of those recommendations are acts in control and rational thought. Without the rational, things only get worse. I have to be the one to begin the rational when I find myself angry.

Have you ever witnessed the angry person give up on their anger once they are heard. It is important to “get it out”, the trick is to not in front of the other person. Being angry is natural and you can see in verse four above that it is okay. What is done next is where the impact is made. Remember that we are to work on the problem and not the person. Be angry with what happened and work to fix it as opposed to fixing the person. Silence in the face of my anger will go a long way to resolving and avoiding any additional escalation.

How is it that you react when you are faced with something that makes you angry? Are you allowing the emotion to take over and acting on the desire to lash out? What if you took a beat and sat back to avoid sinning, ponder the situation, and be silent?

This morning as I read and study the word “angry” I am reminded that actions taken are not where anger are or should be directed. It is the actions that go against that are where our anger should be directed. Even in the passages that I have written recently, I am not describing or talking about actions taken, but those actions that are against God or me for that matter.

“⁹And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice ¹⁰and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the LORD commanded.” — 1 Kings 11:9-10 (ESV)

See above, God is not angry with Solomon for actions taken, but for turning away from Him. God is concerned with the work that I am doing for Him. He cares for me, comforts me, protects me, and lifts me up so that I am able to do the work that He has for me. It is when I am destructive to those works that things get a bit messy and God may be come angry with me. He is angry that His work is not being carried out, not that I have done something, but that I have not done that which was asked of me.

Solomon’s actions as king were not in question and to even show that to him, God did not take anything from him during his reign. God vowed to take the kingdom away from the house of Solomon, but not during his reign, during the reign of his son.

“¹¹Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. ¹²Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.’” — 1 Kings 11:11-12 (ESV)

Here I see that the LORD was working to restore His kingdom. God was angry with the actions of Solomon for turning away from Him, and where He brought it to the attention of Solomon and afforded him the opportunity to correct his actions, the punishment for those actions was still going to take place. The rule of Solomon God allowed to continue and then the consequences were realized after his rule was completed. Again, God was angry with the actions against Him and not the other actions.

I take part in a lot of actions in my life. Some of them are great and others of them, not so much. It is all of my actions that I am accountable for, although those that create anger should be those that go against someone else, and not just my actions in general. No matter the actions of others, if those actions are not going against me, then my role is to love and forgive. And when the actions go against me, I am to be angry with the action against me and not the person or any other actions they happen to be involved. I am not in the business of being angry for the sake of others, unless those others are not able to fend for themselves.

Where is it that you are directing your anger? Are you angry at the actions of others? What if you directed you anger only in those instances when the actions are against you and in all other situations you just saw as actions?

I am of the belief that there is such a thing as justified anger. When there is a wrong committed against someone, then the anger felt is real and one is/should be allowed to be angry with the wrongdoing. God demonstrates this as He deals with the Israelite people as they were rescued from the bonds of slavery and Pharaoh. Moses had been speaking with God and was reminded that the people had turned away from God and began to worship idols, specifically a golden calf.

“¹²Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you have brought from Egypt have acted corruptly. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them; they have made themselves a metal image.’ ¹⁶And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had made yourselves a golden calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you.” — Deuteronomy 9:12 & 16 (ESV)

God had removed the people from the rule of Pharaoh and the way they repaid Him was to worship idols and turned away from Him. If there is any justified reason to be angry, this was certainly one of them. God had every reason to be angry with the people and the actions they were undertaking to turn away from Him.

As I continue to read, there is more to it so that we are not confusing God’s justified anger at the people or individuals but His justified anger with the people and their actions.

“¹⁸Then I lay prostrate before the LORD as before, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin that you had committed, in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger. ²⁰And the LORD was so angry with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.” — Deuteronomy 9:18 & 20 (ESV)

Notice the language used here. God was angry at the sin committed. He was angry with Aaron. He still loved them all and wanted them to experience all that He had committed to them, yet they would receive discipline for the sins they committed against Him.

I am no different than they. I am accountable for my sin and when I commit them, God is justified to be angry with me and my sin. I will be disciplined for my action or inaction. I have the same ability to be angry. And my anger can be justified. I am however held to be angry with the wrong and with the person for committing that wrong, but I must love them and not be angry at them.

What are some things that have happened in your life that you may be justified in your anger? Are you demonstrating anger at the wrong and at the person? What if you changed to be angry with the wrong and with the person and maintained your love of them?

Our sermon this week that was about the vice or sin of anger. I was reminded that anger should be directed at the situation and that I should direct that anger at doing something about it. This is a stark contrast to where anger is generally directed in a lot of situations. There is a tendency to direct our anger at a person and lash out at them.

I have a good amount of anger when things do not work out and thereby creating more work for everyone involved. When something goes wrong or does not play out the way it should have or in a way that can be overcome quickly, there is a feeling that someone should have thought about that and taken care of it. That someone is usually deemed the one that caused the situation as they should have thought about it and had a plan beforehand. This is exactly the wrong approach with regard to directing anger.

Instead of directing anger at the person that should have or not thought of how to avoid a situation before the situation arose, there should be a direction of that anger at how to resolve the situation and overcome. This will be the more productive approach.

This morning as I study I am taken to the book of Genesis and the story of Cain and Abel. This part of the story is of the offering given by each the jealousy and pride in that situation.

“³In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, ⁴and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, ⁵but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” — Genesis 4:3-5 (ESV)

Cain ends up taking his anger at the situation out on his brother Abel by killing him. Whereas for the moment, Cain may have felt some relief in that he would no longer be in the shadow of Abel, this did not solve the situation of Cain’s offering not being regarded by God. In fact, now God was angry at action taken by Cain and laid out punishment for those actions.

Notice that God was angry, not at Cain, but the situation and Cain was punished for the action, not for being Cain. Too often I believe and see with my own eyes that there is anger and punishment for the person for being the person and there is little looking at the situation and actions.

I have to remember that anger is okay to have and that anger can be used to change things, but only when directed at the actions and situation and not when directed at the person or individual. When directed at the situation, there is a chance to change things and adjust for the now and the future. We have the chance to make the adjustments and repair the situation we are currently in and learn from it to avoid the situation if and when it comes up another time.

Being angry is not a sin, nor should it be frowned upon. As long as that anger is directed correctly, it can be useful in overcoming situations. I have to remember to direct my anger at the situation and not at any person. When I do, I am able to refocus and take action to overcome and learn and impact in a positive way.

What situations do you find yourself angry? Where are you directing your anger? What if you focused you anger on the situation and not the people involved and allowed for the impact on that situation today as well as future instances?

Falsehood and destruction is everywhere around me and I have to be careful and keep a watchful eye out for the signs and then when discovered, do something to avoid destruction with them.

“¹But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” — 2 Peter 2:1 (ESV)

I am bombarded daily with falsehood. Those who are in authority as well as those who wish to be in authority. As see in the verse above, they are “secretly” bringing destruction. We do not even notice a lot of the time as the subtleties are so small. But, when we are aware of that which is going on around us and clued into the way of Christ and working to bring glory to Him, we will be able to notice all that is there.

“²And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” “¹⁴They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!” — 2 Peter 2:1-3 &14 (ESV)

Notice the approach of their falsehood. They “exploit” and “entice”. Look to see who they are targeting, the “unsteady”, and they are trained in the acts.

I have to be the “steady”. I have to be grounded in God and His word to avoid the trappings of the false. I should be knowing of God and His word. I am to be spreading the gospel and aware of the falsehood around me. I should be strong so I am not exploited or enticed.

In sports I hear the following saying often as a call to be aware, “keep your head on a swivel”. This is to remind that things are happening all around us and if we get too focused on one thing, we may miss that thing coming up behind us. These that are bring falsehood are looking for our focus on other things so that they are able to come up from behind in hopes that we are not even aware of their existence, let alone their motives. I have to be careful with all that are around and know that with my knowledge of God, I have the foundation to avoid the enticement and exploitation of those who wish me otherwise.

What is going on around you that you may not even be aware? Are you too focused on one thing that you may be missing that thing coming up from behind? What if you know of your knowledge of God and His word so that you could be careful of those around you and look out for the falsehoods that are there?

I believe this is a topic that I come across on a regular basis in my study. Maybe it is me in that I have to be constantly reminded that my reward is in heaven and not in this world, or it could be that it is such a vital topic that I have to continue to review. Seeking to do that which is in the interest of God and using Him as the example is the approach I should be taking each day. It is really easy to want the glory and be greedy as when I review things around me, I feel as though I am doing the work of God and others should be recognizing it and calling it out.

“⁵For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. ⁶Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.” — 1 Thessalonians 2:5-6 (ESV)

In this passage, Paul is reminding the church at Thessalonica that when he, Timothy, and Silvanus came to witness to them they came only to do the work of God and did not “require” anything of the people. Paul and team did not ask for to be placed on a pedestal are provided with any monetary gain in order to come. And when they arrived they did not proceed to require anything either. All they were interested in was bringing the gospel to the people. And as you look at the last part of verse six above, they could have based on their station in the name of Christ.

There is a time and a place for everything. I have to remember that I am here to “do God” and not to have gains in this world. In the mornings I use the Lord’s Prayer as an outline in my prayer and when you look at that example, we should open with glory to God and then thanks for provision. Beyond that what we ask for are ways to get by (more provision) and bring glory to God through our actions, repentance, and forgiveness. Nowhere are we asking for God to give us wealth, status, or any other of those societal desires.

“⁹Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread, ¹²and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” — Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)

All of what I do should be to “do God” and not do me. I am a servant of God and He will provide that which I need to bring glory to him. I “need” no more than He provides and should not be seeking it out.

What is there that you have been searching for either before you go or when you arrive? Are you looking for that which brings you something here in this world and are you looking for more? What if you simply sought to “do God” and allowed Him to provide all that you are needing in this world, knowing that your reward is really in heaven?

I listen to social warriors and notice that they are strongly against the Christian values. There is a constant use of scripture in sequestered and out of context ways. The denouncing of anything that is a part of what they hold dear is taken as hate speech and anti whatever platform they are interested in today.

This morning I am reading in 1 Corinthians and specifically Paul is addressing those that are in the church at Corinth and their need to deal with those in the church who are defiling it through sexual immorality. As I read, I am drawn to the greed referenced in the text as that is the word I am currently studying. Paul is referring to the act of disassociating with those that are sexually immoral and display greed and other undesirable characteristics of the Christian faith. That is just it, disassociate with those in the faith that are of those characteristics, not those that are outside the faith.

“⁹I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.” — 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 (ESV)

Paul makes it clear that those we should concern our holding accountable are those who are among us and claim to be like us in faith and belief. Those in our midst are those that we are closest to and know more about them and their hearts (at least we should). I am responsible for the accountability of fellow Christians and those who are outside the faith, as Paul notes in verse 13 below, God judges those.

“¹³God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’” — 1 Corinthians 5:13 (ESV)

Too often I believe that we find ourselves “judging” everyone, when we are really not here to judge at all. We are here to hold accountable those that know. Those that do not know, it is our responsibility to teach them so that they have an opportunity to turn from those ways and turn to God and His ways. Until those are a member of the flock, who am I to hold them accountable to that which is outside of what they know. They find themselves doing and knowing what they know and as they know, they are not doing anything wrong. Their immorality, greed, idolatry are of the world they are in and not of the Christian world. It is simply my duty as a Christian to bring the Christian world to them and educate them so they have the chance to join us in the midst of God. Until they do, I am to only love and continue to educate and leave the accountability actions to God. I am to disassociate and hold accountable those that are of the faith in the world of God.

What have you held against someone that may be outside of the Christian world you are? Are you holding them to a standard that they may not be educated? What if you were to only hold accountable and disassociate with those in the Christian world and allowed God to judge those outside?