The Word For Today

Unlike jealousy, which is the fear of being displaced, envy is ill-will towards those who possess something you want. Jealousy says, 'I'm afraid you are going to take what I have.' Envy says, 'I want what you have, and I resent you for having it!' Envy is one of the most frequently concealed emotions. You may be more likely to admit to an uncontrollable temper, a phobia or any other negative emotion than to acknowledge that you are envious. Envy inevitably leads to resenting and criticising the person you envy. And once you allow envy and resentment to enter your heart, they act like free radicals producing an emotional cancer. Eventually they will manifest themselves in some destructive way, whether it is in the form of taking mood-altering substances, overeating, shopping excessively, lashing out, being sarcastic or physically harming others.

If you covet what someone else has, ask yourself, 'Am I willing to pay the price they paid to obtain it?' The world has a saying: 'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' Everything - except salvation - has a price tag. So whether you want to be thin, rich, educated or whatever, stop envying the success of others, and ask God to help you succeed in the assignment he has given you for your life.

If you harbour envy towards someone, it's time to deal with it. David wrote: 'You desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow' (Psalm 51:6-7 NIV).

We often think of great artists and musicians as having 'bursts' of genius. But more often, they're models of painstaking patience and perseverance. Their greatest works tend to have been accomplished over longer periods and through extreme hardships. Beethoven is said to have rewritten each bar of his music at least a dozen times. Joseph Haydn produced more than 800 musical compositions before writing The Creation, the oratorio for which he is most famous. Michelangelo's The Last Judgement is considered one of the twelve master paintings of the ages. It took him eight years to complete, producing more than 2,000 sketches and renderings in the process. Leonardo da Vinci worked on The Last Supper for ten years, often working so diligently that he forgot to eat.

When renowned pianist Paderewski was quite elderly, an admirer asked him, 'Is it true that you still practise every day?' He replied, 'Yes, at least six hours a day.' The admirer said in awe, 'You must have a world of patience.' Paderewski said, 'I have no more patience than the next fellow. I just use mine.' It is said that in the Kentucky Derby, the winning horse effectively runs out of oxygen after the first mile and runs the rest of the way on heart. Basketball legend Michael Jordan says, 'Heart is what separates the good from the great.'

In the Bible, James wrote, 'As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about' (James 5:11 NIV). Those who are 'blessed' with success are those who keep persevering and refuse to give up.

The Bible says, 'If anyone has slipped away from God and no longer trusts the Lord and someone helps him understand the Truth again' (James 5:19-20 TLB). It is possible for a true believer to slip away. This means we must never put our convictions on the shelf. If we don't make a deliberate effort to stay close to the truth of God's word, we could wander from it. After all, we live in a world with lots of distractions. Today many people are on a quest for 'unity at all costs' and are devaluing the importance of the truth as revealed in God's word.

Knowing he would soon die as a martyr for his faith, the apostle Paul wrote to his successor Timothy: 'Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of' (2 Timothy 3:14 NIV). Then in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 (NIV), he encouraged Timothy: 'Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship...discharge all the duties of your ministry'.

So the word for today is - stay true to the truth of God's word.

As a leader, you must understand what you do well and know where you need assistance. Your strengths and weaknesses don't make you wrong or right; they just make you who you are. If you've heard the saying, 'No man is an island,' it was probably said about a great leader. Few people achieve success on their own. Consider an actor in a play. He may be the one in the spotlight - with perfect hair, make-up and costume, reciting poignant lines and getting all the applause - but he didn't do it alone. He had to rely on the costume designer for the outfit he wore, the hair and make-up artists who made him look flawless, the playwright who wrote the words, and the lighting and sound crews who set the stage, etc.

Good leaders are wise enough to surround themselves with people who have strengths that complement theirs. They are still in charge, but they have teams that help them achieve their vision. You are a leader in some area of your life - home, family, work, church - and you know leadership has its challenges. While there are certainly many benefits, a leader has to deal with conflict, controversy and naysayers who think they know better. This comes with the territory. But you can't allow others to keep you from achieving your goals. Not everyone will be your cheerleader. That's just a fact of life.

If you are going to be an effective leader, hold fast to your vision, build a great team to help you, and stand on God's promise: '"I have spoken; I have called [you]. I have brought [you], and I will make [you] successful. (Isaiah 48:15).

Within a matter of seconds, Vicky's life was shattered. A trapeze artist, she lost control of the fly bar and landed head-first in the net. She broke her neck and became paralysed with quadriplegia. Three years after the accident, she had fallen into deep despair and self-pity, and was determined to take her life. She survived a suicide attempt and was admitted to a hospital for care. On the fourth anniversary of her fall, she and her husband separated, and bitterness set in.

One day, a home-health aide, Mae Lynne, was assigned to help Vicky. A strong Christian, she introduced Vicky to Jesus and the Bible. Vicky began to learn how to stand firm in her faith and walk in obedience to God. In addition, a pastor faithfully taught her God's word for two years. Then Vicky began a ministry of encouragement by writing letters each week to prison inmates and others with disabilities. The more joy she brought to them, the more she experienced herself. She jokes, 'Quadriplegics aren't supposed to have this much joy, are they?'

Vicky still uses a wheelchair, becomes dizzy at times and has occasional respiratory problems. But she has a deep inner peace and strength because of her relationship with Jesus. And you can have it too. Job said: 'Acquaint yourself with him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up' (Job 22:21-23 NKJV).

Paul wrote: 'Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand' (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). Jesus said: 'Don't worry about these things, saying, "What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need' (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT).

Instead of meditating on our problems, we need to meditate on how good and loving our God really is. When we keep our minds on our problems, we create anxiety. But when we keep our minds on the promises of God, we get infused with his peace. So allow the promises of God to heal your soul of worry and stress by focusing on his goodness and willingness to show himself strong on your behalf. 'The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him' (2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT).

Our heavenly Father loves us and already knows our needs. When we take hold of that truth, fear and doubt fall by the wayside. Confession: 'I don't give in to needless worry. I pray about problems rather than complain about them. God hears my prayers, and I thank him for all he's provided. I experience God's peace because I know he hears me and has already answered my prayers in Jesus.'