Psalm 37:1-4

“Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.” vss. 1-2

When monks retreated to the desert in the early years of Christianity in a mostly futile attempt to purify themselves, they had plenty of time to meditate on the nature of sin. As a result of their meditation they developed definitions for what later were classified as “the seven deadly sins,” one of which was envy, a vice known to the psalmist, and also to most of us. Envy begins with jealousy when we notice that others are prospering and we are not, and then it grows into covetousness, a deep desire to have their cool stuff. And if we perceive that these other persons are not walking in the straight and narrow, presumably like we are, our envy can become particularly acute. It eats away at our serenity and soon we can think of little else. We can even begin to question why we’re being good when being bad has all the benefits. The psalmist recommends that we simply cool it. “Don’t fret,” he says, and advises us to trust that material gains are external and obviously will not last. What really counts is our relationship with God. We can be confident that the spiritual blessings of that connection will satisfy the desires of our hearts. Who cares what others have? What really counts is whose we are!

Thought for the Day: Who am I most likely to envy?