I have been struggling with envy the past few weeks. It is the easiest thing to fall into. There will always be someone who has more than we have naturally. We do not even have to look very far to find someone who will have more than we have. Sometimes it is not even natural things that they may have more of, sometimes it can be who they are. More leadership qualities, more energy, more friends, more personality.
Any of these things, if we feel we are lacking in certain areas, may easily cause us to become envious.
Envy is hard to overcome. It can be hard to overlook those trigger points, and get to a place where we can honestly say we are not envious.
Envy is the complete opposite of contentment. We can never be envious And be content at the same time. They are two extremes. At the one end desiring something we do not have, and at the other end, being completely satisfied with what we Do have. And we all have. We are all alive. We are all breathing. While we are alive, we have.
So my goal for tomorrow is to pray for contentment. If, impossible in my own strength, then to God be the glory. Through Christ we can be content. Keep our eyes on the one true living God, for therein lies our peace.
Poems and Petals 
I have one maxim I use: Look to your left for contentment; Look to your right for inspiration. Also, whenever I find myself insecure about someone having superior qualities than me I consciously complement them. This diffuses most of the negative energy. Moreover, since you are Christian, it would help to know the words of Paul on Boasting and the thoughtful question he asks, “What is it that you have that is not given to you?” In a way, he wants you to count your blessings as such and also understand that each one is given talents according to his measure. Don’t beat yourself up about this, though. Envy is just a symptom of the human condition and the fact that you let this trouble you makes you a better person than most.
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Hi Herbert, I love that thought of consciously complementing someone. Well atm it would be super-challenging for me to consciously compliment the person who is my current ‘thorn in the flesh’, therein would lie the victory I guess. I am not often posting ‘Christian’ posts as that is not the purpose of my blog, but sometimes I feel the need as well as liberty to share some thoughts. Thank you for your considered response 😊it means a lot x
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I’m glad you found it meaningful. Do try to compliment your challenge and, of course, it is always hardest the first time. Your thoughts are beautiful, by the way. Please, keep writing!
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I will try Herbert (to keep writing), my blog is now a few years old, it sometimes feels like whatever I want to write has already been written! But I am still breathing, so while there is life, I’m sure there will be more writing x
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😊Great, just keep on walking and even revisit old thoughts. I’m sure there is so much that some people missed.
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You are so kind, yes I will do that, thank you ! X
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I think no one of us is a saint and I don’t believe anyone who says they are never envious! But it truly depends on the grade and at one point we do ourselves a favor to let others have or get what they have even when we think it might be unfair. If we want it too then we need to do something for it or accept that our path leads somewhere else! Even though we think it is not fair it is part of their journey and so are the consequences!
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Yes, I love that, we all have our own path and consequences that come with it, but as you say we are all human and part of that is dealing with these sometimes negatives emotions that can seem to overpower us!
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Perfectly said, Vonita 😊
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When is walk on my road and see that I’m being envious. It is very difficult to turn away. So I look at it head on. It is like look through a pane of glass at someone’s else’s life and want it, and then I take out me towel and my windex and clean the window. Wiping all that away some time scrubbing .lol. To see all that I have, consciously look at my life and the beauty God has given me. Your thought are very provoking .. thank you
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I’m glad for your comments, thank you! I love the thought of wiping our own windows clean, sometimes we need to do this very necessary action! Xx
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Saying a prayer for your contentment 🙂 God will help you with it. You words convey that you are being humble and asking Him. He always delivers 🙂 If I see my self envying something or someone, for me (and this might not work for everyone) but I start thanking God for their blessings. If it’s something material I see that I want, I ask God, if it’s His will for me to have it to make a way. If I don’t get it, well, it wasn’t His will and I am accepting of that as well because He has provided me with more than I deserve as it is 🙂 God Bless you 🙂
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Thank you for these lovely thoughts! Blessings to you too xx 🙂
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I have a lot less than I did while married living in a beautiful house. I liked having my grown children come to me (and our house.) Now, living a much simpler life, I may once in awhile wishing again for those “things” and all I have to do is read a letter I mailed to my Mom. In my letter, I told her I wasn’t happy, under control and things didn’t matter to me. Peace of mind comes like a fountain, springing up within me, once again. My words may seem corny but try to find one special “trigger” or memento to make you feel happy. In my social work days, I was taught by the director of a battered women’s shelter, an actual “physical token” stuck in a purse or in your car, can comfort you. My Mom wasn’t Catholic but her mother was and as she is 88 she asked to have a rosary. It is something to hold. Hugs sent your way, Vonita. ❤
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I love that thought, yes a physical token is a great idea. My aunt in the UK has a teddy bear she carries with her and is a ‘companion’ to her, it is a similar sort of symbol. An old teacher of mine (from when I was ten), was in Sydney a couple of years back and we met up, she bought me a golden key from a museum we went to, I carried that with me for a while, but scared to lose it, so I left it at home. I might look for it again x
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Well, I am so glad something I said may work out to give you luck or hope. 🙂 This makes me feel good to have maybe said the “right thing!”
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