Ecclesiastes 4:4 NLT “Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.”
Envy: 1. “a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck.
2. desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to (someone else).”
Let us look at this word, envy. It basically the same as covet. It is to want what someone else has or lives.
“Covet is to have an intense, wrongful, or inordinate desire for something that belongs to someone else, or something forbidden, often leading to envy and greed, not just wanting something but wanting it in a way that disregards others’ rights or God’s will.”
If you desire to have something which belongs to someone else or want to live their life, then think of being cloned exactly like them. If you want what they have, you must also receive their past, hardships, laughter, dreams, failures, humiliations, talent, their parents, family, emotions, psychological state, spiritual state, physical, etc. Now, you may think they are having a great life, but you are only seeing a portion. You may be seeing the present outcome and not the history nor future.
Would you give up your life, your family, your past, your experiences, and all that is you to be exactly cloned to be another person so you can have what someone else possesses or to be able to live their life? Would you trade your position from this ministry for someone who is not here? Personally, thinking of this, I do not want anyone else’s life except the life of Christ in me. Although I have my own sufferings in life, my own regrets, my own failures, and the choices I have made, I would not exchange my life with anyone on this planet, including the richest or most famous person, because I have been truly found and am on the way home. When we are in heaven, all this trivial nonsense of the world that we deem so important will be but a dust in memory. But as a bride of Christ, I would not trade with anyone’s life. When we are in heaven, those who become the bride will realize all the sufferings of the world would have been worth it to be one with the King of Kings!
You hear me speak of saying that each one of us is a unique color to God. We are a unique character. Like a fingerprint, there are no duplicates, but all are unique. Within us are embedded many great gifts and talents yet to be revealed. Some people have been able to open their gifts and talents from God a lot earlier than others, and as a result, comes forth jealousy, envy, and coveting from others, including His own people who are not enlightened to their true identity.
Do you really want to be cloned and become the person who possesses what you secretly desire? Do you really want to be cloned and live their life, but you will need to give up your own family, current children, and all your intimate, cherished memories. You will have to give up the memories of those who have crossed your path in your life?
Embedded in you is more than you realize, beyond your dreams and imagination. Like Christmas gifts, embedded in you are eternal and infinite gifts and talents to glorify God. However, the passcode or combination is more intimate with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Are you willing to risk not knowing and neglect all the eternal gifts especially made for you? The energy required to get to His Heart is Full Surrender and Submission. The road to intimacy is less of you and more of Him. You must look for a road called “personal suffering for Him.”
HE did not die for you, so you can dream about being someone else or dream about owning another’s possession. You must come to a revelation: HE died for you alone, even though it was for the world, but yet HE considers you the world to Him!
Let us move forward, happy for others, and work on our own relationship with Jesus as you work on your relationship with your spouse, children, neighbor, bosses, and others. The Bible states that the sum of the law is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Treat and love everyone as you want to be treated and beloved, and then you will walk in the Spirit of Freedom and Salvation in which the law cannot touch you. Your mind will be free, being cleansed by His Precious Blood spilled for you! Love you all!
Let us practice what we hear or read and not neglect so great a salvation.
Additional Comments:
Are you willing to risk not knowing and neglect all the eternal gifts especially made for you to be cloned into another’s life?
If you continue to hold offense, you put yourself under the law
If you continue to hold anger, you put yourself under the law
If you continue to covet or envy, you put yourself under the law
If you continue to LIE, you put yourself under the law
If you continue to live in disobedience, you put yourself under the law
Then what will happen under the law? Your mind/consciousness not being cleansed will always be in torment, ridden with guilt, fear, shame, and carnal emotions. Without realizing that Deuteronomy chapter 28 is already initiated, the curses described therein.
And like the OT, you will attempt to offer sacrifices from your carnal life rather than being a living sacrifice in an attempt to find peace. The law cannot give you life.
Senior Pastor Steve Kim