Ending Envy / 告别嫉妒

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Dexu Xia

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Jun 22, 2019, 2:03:50 AM6/22/19

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Each one should test their own actions. Galatians 6:4

The famous French artist Edgar Degas is remembered worldwide for his paintings of ballerinas. Less known is the envy he expressed of his friend and artistic rival Édouard Manet, another master painter. Said Degas of Manet, “Everything he does he always hits off straightaway, while I take endless pains and never get it right.”

It’s a curious emotion, envy—listed by the apostle Paul among the worst traits, as bad as “every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip” (Romans 1:29 nlt). It results from foolish thinking, Paul writes—the result of worshiping idols instead of worshiping God (v. 28).

Author Christina Fox says that when envy develops among believers, it’s “because our hearts have turned from our one true love.” In our envy, she said, “we are chasing after the inferior pleasures of this world instead of looking to Jesus. In effect, we’ve forgotten whose we are.”

Yet there’s a remedy. Turn back to God. “Offer every part of yourself to him,” Paul wrote (Romans 6:13)—your work and life especially. In another of his letters Paul penned, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else” (Galatians 6:4).

Thank God for His blessings—not just things, but for the freedom of His grace. Seeing our own God-given gifts, we find contentment again.

Reflect & Pray

What talents, spiritual gifts, and blessings has God given you that you’ve forgotten to appreciate? Reflecting on them, how does your heart feel as you return to God?

告别嫉妒

各人应当察验自己的行为。-加拉太书6章4节

法国艺术家埃德加·窦加（Edgar Degas）以芭蕾舞者的画像闻名世界。但鲜为人知的是，他嫉妒同为画家的朋友爱德华·马奈（Édouard Manet）。窦加说：“马奈所要描绘的总能信手拈来，而我却折腾多时仍无法画好。”

嫉妒这种负面情绪，被使徒保罗视为一种极败坏的特性，与各种邪恶、罪过、贪婪、凶杀、争吵、欺诈、恶毒、流言同样糟糕（罗马书1章29节）。保罗指出拜偶像而不敬拜上帝，就会有愚蠢的想法，随之而来的便是嫉妒（28节）。

基督教作家克里斯蒂娜·福克斯（Christina Fox）认为，嫉妒在信徒心中滋长，乃因我们的心背离了真爱。嫉妒会促使我们追逐世上的享乐而不仰望耶稣，甚至令我们忘了自己究竟属乎谁。

解决嫉妒的良方就是回转归向上帝。保罗要我们“将自己献给上帝”（罗马书6章13节），特别是我们的工作和生活。保罗也提到：“你们在自己所做的事上要小心谨慎，这样你们就会因自己做得好而感到满足，而且不需要跟他人比较。”（加拉太书6章4节，新普及译本）

感谢上帝厚赐恩福，祂赐下美物，更赐下恩典使我们得自由。只要数算上帝所赐的恩惠，便能再次得着满足。

主啊，帮助我归向祢，看到祢对我的爱真实宽广，
让我不再关注别人所得的恩赐和祝福。