If I asked you, “How do you feel about your life?” What would you say? Would your response be negative or positive? Do you like it? Love it? Or do you simply wish you had a different life filled with better opportunities? Do you ever look at other people's lives and decide that life would be a lot better if you had theirs? Or are you genuinely happy with the life God has given you?
"You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s." -Exodus 20:17
In the Bible, God warns about the dangers of coveting; in fact, he forbids it. Coveting is defined as wanting what others have. God forbids this for a simple reason: coveting is the stealer of joy. You are never going to have someone else's life.
Even when you try your hardest to make your life similar to the life of someone else, there will ALWAYS be someone out there that will have something that you don’t. So, wanting someone else’s life is a complete waste of valuable time that could be spent doing things that are far more impactful to the world.
Learning who God has created you to be and what he has called you to do with the life you were given is the best way you can contribute to bringing his kingdom down to earth. I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, that seems to be a far better way to spend my time.
Personally, I have found myself struggling with the trap that is comparison. I sometimes found myself wishing I had what others had instead of taking the time to appreciate what I did have. In my walk of faith, I quickly realized that I needed to deal with things as they were, not the way I wished they were.
NOBODY’S life is perfect.
That’s just a fact about the glorious mystery we call life, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Odds are, while you’re wasting your time wishing you had what someone else has, that same person is probably wishing they have what you have. Stop the cycle; follow the path God has taken so much time and effort to make for you and live your own life!
It’s important to note that if God wants you to have what someone else has then he will bring it to you. Trust Him to know what’s better for you and have faith that He will never fail you. But before you ask for more, you must be happy with what you have and do the best you can with what He has given you.
We all have our own lives to live; so live your own life. God has given you a purpose. Don't waste it wishing you had more. Answer the call and live meaningfully.
I’ll leave you with this question: What will you do with the gifts and talents that God has given you?
