Envy is the act of resenting the good fortune of others. Similar to jealousy, which is the fear of losing what you already have, envy is about wanting what you don’t have and wanting others to not have what they have. Envy sees the talents, abilities, achievements and good fortune of others as a reason to dislike them.  (FRANCINE MORRISSETTE)

What’s so deadly about envy? Isn’t a little envy okay, too? Friends envy friends all the time. Neighbors envy neighbors all the time.

Envy diminishes our humanity. It’s actually a form of self-hatred. Envy may start with a sort of self-love, because I want something to supposedly better myself. By when I am envious, I am not loving myself. I am not grateful for, or happy in, what I am or what I have. The sin is deadly, because it will not let me live as myself. And envy not only disparages self, it disparages others, and it disparages the One who created us both. Everyone is a loser, with envy.

There is no pleasure in envy, no joy, even for a moment. It’s a sad sin. It weighs heavily. It pulls down.

There is an antidote for envy. The antidote for envy is what the Hebrew Scriptures call “hesed” – loving-kindness.

If envy diminishes self, and others, and God, love is the fulfillment of self, others, and God. When we are oriented toward God and others, in sacrificial love, how could we possibly harbor envy? The good of the other becomes our good. The joy of the other is our joy. The success of the other is our success.     (PHIL KNISS)

Does your church emphasize, encourage, and value membership? In many places the notion of church membership has fallen out of favor. Rick Warren thinks that is a “serious mistake.”

“Membership is a word that has been perverted and abused,” said Warren. “It’s not putting your name on a roll. It’s not about knowing the insider lingo. That’s not what membership is all about.”

Using Scripture to show the importance of commitment to a local congregation, Warren said membership was about being “a member in the Body of Christ.” And therefore membership is “organic not organizational.”

Warren shot down the notion that membership isn’t important as long as people attend the church. “The difference between an attender and a member is the difference between living together and getting married. A lot of people want to date the church, but they don’t want to get married. That is spiritual adultery.”

Radical membership is an act of commitment, not conformity. It’s about belonging to God’s family and being a contributor and not just a consumer.

(SKYE JETHANI)

Mrs. William P. Janzen wrote, “Can I be a Christian without joining other Christians in the church? Yes, it is something like—being a soldier without an army, a seaman without a ship, a businessman without a business, a tuba player without an orchestra, a football player without a team, or a bee without a hive.”

Be sure you are active in a local congregation. It may have its faults, but then, look at the Christians who are in it. They need, and you need, active involvement with other believers in Christ who have similar understandings and interests in outreach for Christ. (CRAIG ALAN MYERS)

Commitment is not always a popular idea in our current culture. I read recently that at some weddings the traditional vows of “Till death do us part” are being replaced by “So long as we both feel love.” As Christians, we are horrified by such ideas and are quick to condemn these acts of selfishness. There is some irony, then, that Christians can quickly condone such attitudes with regard to commitment to the church. Membership in particular is seen as a take-it-or-leave-it matter. It is an option, but not a necessity. To use an illustration by Joshua Harris, people are dating the church. They are checking it out with the criterion “What’s in it for me?”, but they always keep an eye on something better that might come along. There may be some semblance of commitment to a local church, but nothing close to the picture portrayed the New Testament.

(SOURCE UNKNOWN)

Employees are to work as though God were their boss.

“Serve and work wholeheartedly, as if you were serving and working for the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good work he does, whether he is slave or free.” (EPHESIANS 6: 7-8, NIV)

Employees should be trustworthy.
“Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.”(PROVERBS 25: 13, NIV)

Exploitation of workers by employers does not escape God’s notice.

“For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. Their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.” (JAMES 5: 4, THE LIVING BIBLE)

It is important to work to earn a living.
“Yet we hear that some of you are living in laziness, refusing to work, and wasting your time in gossiping. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we appeal to such people get to work, and earn their own living.” (2 THESSALONIANS 3: 11-12, THE LIVING BIBLE)

Christians should be known as those who do their best.
“Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”                   (TITUS 2: 9-10, NIV)

A man who fails to work to provide for his family denies the faith.
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 TIMOTHY 5: 8, NIV)

All our work ought to be done with Christ in mind.
“Don’t work hard only when your master is watching and then shirk when he isn’t looking; work hard and with gladness all the time, as though working for Christ, doing the will of God with all your hearts.” (EPHESIANS 6: 6-7, THE LIVING BIBLE)

Work knowing that God will evaluate your efforts.
“Work hard so God can say to you, ‘Well done.” Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what His Word says and means.”  (2 TIMOTHY 2: 15, THE LIVING BIBLE)

Does attitude on the job matter?
“Work hard and cheerfully at all you do, just as though you were working for the Lord and not merely for your masters.”(COLOSSIANS 3: 23, THE LIVING BIBLE)

The life of a salmon is a very interesting. From the fresh water rivers, they go through their normal life cycle as eggs and fingerlings and eventually live in the sea. But once they reach maturity, they have an absolute resolve to go back to their spawning grounds, hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.

These salmon risk their lives swimming upstream, against the current, against the flow in order to produce life.  We could look at the life of a salmon and say, wouldn’t it be easier to just live in one place or the other?  But for some unknown reason it seems they must have this sojourn.  After the eggs are released and fertilized, the adult salmon die. The life cycle is complete. They think it necessary to take this journey in order to continue life in something else.  Isn’t it interesting at the climax of their life (swimming upstream/overcoming obstacles/predators and laying their eggs; producing life) they die?

The same is true for the Christian. The climax of our life should be dying to ourselves (overcoming our obstacles and our predator [Satan]) in order to produce life in someone else. When we pursue Jesus Christ (who is at the core, everything holy), we become conformed to His image (being made holy). We begin to die to ourselves in order to produce life in someone else.

This is the heartbeat of the church. Making disciples who make disciples. The only way that we can be making disciples is through daily choosing to be holy in order that our new life can be lived to produce life in someone else.                                     (SOURCE UNKNOWN)

Martha in the kitchen, serving with her hands;
Occupied for Jesus, with her pots and pans.
Loving Him, yet fevered, burdened to the brim.
Careful, troubled Martha, occupied for Him.

Mary on the footstool, eyes upon her Lord;
Occupied with Jesus, drinking in His Word.
This the one thing needful, all else strangely dim;
Loving, resting Mary, occupied with Him.

So may we, like Mary, choose the better part;
Resting in His presence – hands and feet and heart;
Drinking in His wisdom, strengthened with His grace;
Waiting for the summons, eyes upon His face.

When it comes, we’re ready – spirit, will , and nerve;
Mary’ heart to worship, Martha’s hands to serve;
This the rightful order, as our lamps we trim –
Occupied with Jesus, then occupied for Him!

(LOIS REYNOLDS CARPENTER)

Are you a “Mary-like” disciple of the Lord Jesus? In a “Martha world” (so busy and hectic) we need to have a “Mary heart.” May God give us Mary’s heart to adore; Martha’s hands to serve.

We wrongly view success in terms of money, fame, or career success. But God views success in terms of godly, loving family relationships. I want to talk about how to raise godly grandchildren. I say grandchildren, rather than just children, because the real test of child rearing is the third generation, not just the second. Of course God wants us to raise godly children. But the true test of the process is whether or not our children raise godly children. If the parents are spiritually lukewarm, the children often will be stone cold. The grandchildren will be completely pagan.

So how can we, as Christian parents, raise up godly generations? In Deuteronomy 6 Moses told Israel as the people prepared to enter the land of Canaan that they would face many temptations in the land. They would be surrounded by pagans. Moses said to raise up godly grandchildren they must love God fervently, teach their children diligently, and live in the world carefully. The result is that it will be well with them under God’s blessing.

Remember, no one ever got to be 65 and said, “I wish I’d spent more time on my business.” But many lament that they neglected their families. True success is raising up godly children and grandchildren. To do it, you must love God fervently, teach your children diligently, and live in the world carefully.

How is your walk with the Lord today? Is it vital and growing, or lukewarm? Are you diligently involved in teaching your children and grandchildren the things of God? Are you being careful to maintain a distinctive lifestyle and not get sucked into the world system? If you’ve been negligent, the Lord is rich in mercy if you will turn back to Him today. (STEVEN J. COLE)