Dear Church of the Open Bible,
A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. - Proverbs 14:30
Comparison kills contentment. I’ve seen it. I know it. Here is a list of “others” I’ve compared myself to over the years: husbands, fathers, friends, teammates, employers, pastors, speakers, and even churches. I’m sure the list would be longer if I gave it more thought but I’ve felt the “bone rot” of envying others. Have you? It’s still shocking for me to think of how quickly and often it can spring up.
There is a popular anecdote of a Sunday school teacher who was teaching about the Pharisee and the tax-collector praying in the temple (Luke 18:10-14). She taught how the Pharisee prayed, "God, I thank you that I'm not like other people," while the tax-gatherer said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." The teacher explained how the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisee caused him to look down on the tax-collector. At the end of the class, she asked one little boy to close in prayer. He prayed, "God, I thank You that I'm not like that Pharisee."
Comparison to others can be so subtle, that it can even creep into our prayers. And unless we’re careful, it can kill contentment. So how do we stop the “bone rot” of envy in our lives? By taking our eyes off others and putting them back on God, in Christ. When we gaze at Him, things are put in perspective. And contentment then follows, those who trust in Him.