This is a blog post for all of us who have experienced jealousy and envy. Let me set up the scenario. You’re a follower of Jesus. As such, you want to make decisions that are in keeping with the phrase, “What would Jesus do.” So you don’t lie, cheat, or steal. You live life with integrity, right?
Then you look look around and see some of your friends or your work associates who don’t know God. In fact, they could care less about doing the right and equitable thing. They not only deny God, but they openly speak against him. But they seem to be blessed on all fronts. They’re healthy. They’re wealthy. They don’t have a care in the world. But you find yourself suffering with health, money or a hundred other things. It sure doesn’t seem fair, does it?
The Bible speaks to this very issue in Psalm 73. The writer finds himself in the same boat as you and me. He’s observing the same things that you and I see. But he has a change of attitude. The change is found here. Psalm 73:16-17 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply in until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
There’s a discipline that you and I should incorporate into our lives. It’s playing the long game. It’s looking at life through eternity not through the lens of “what’s in it for me?” The writer came into the sanctuary of God, (the presence of God) and gained God‘s perspective. If others don’t have a relationship with God, their eternity will be bad, but yours will be good. In fact, it will be great. So when you find yourself jealous and envious of others remember to ask this question: “Am I playing the long game or the short game?”