Good morning guys, I believe service yesterday was awesome? I had a great time in church too. We rounded off on Diligence on Friday, then started the talk about envy. In my observation of the pattern of God in the new testament, it’s more about what to do, rather than what not to do. The Law was all about what not to do, but Grace’s primary focus is on what to do by the empowerment of Grace. So much more than focusing on envy and its devastating effect on human relationships, I trust God to help us see together into the way to comprehensively deal with this tendency. That brings me then to the theme of my post; His Masterpiece. There’s only one effective way to overcome envy; Knowing how different, unique and gifted you are as a person. This will knock off every sense of envy in your heart towards others. Envy has absolutely no bearing without comparison… IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE ENVIOUS WITHOUT COMPARING YOURSELF WITH ANOTHER. So comparison is at the root of “envy”, and what did the bible tell us about comparison?
2 Cor 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
It’s more like Paul was saying it’s forbidden to compare ourselves with others in this kingdom. It violates everything God stands for. Without comparing yourself with another person, you CANNOT possibly be envious. So how do you NOT compare yourself? By knowing how blessed, unique and different you are. You are God’s Masterpiece. That is, when God was done with you, He broke the mold with which He made you. Let me explain… When a manufacturer wants to produce something, he makes a model first, or prototype you may call it, he makes sure this model has all the necessary qualities of the proposed product in terms of size, shape and composition… After making sure of this, then he mass produces the model with the mold with which he made the model. This makes it such that every other one he makes looks just like the first model. So this is my point, yeah we are all human beings and have the same physical features, but when it comes to our giftings, abilities and destiny, we all are MASTERPIECES. No-one was crafted quite like another. God broke the mold with which He made you, which makes it impossible for Him to make another clone of you. We must REALLY REALLY understand this before we eradicate envy from our internal space.
Psalms 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
You are very different from the 7billion plus people on earth right now, you’re different from everyone that has ever lived, and God couldn’t make the mistake of making another version of you even after now. Every human being is a carefully thought out dimension of God, never to be produced again. The only competition you have in your life is a competition with what God has called you to be, not with another person running his own race with a different goal. The competition of your Jacob is with your Israel. You’re Jacob now, but your competition is with Israel, how can Jacob become Israel? Is the question you should ask not how can Jacob be like Isaac? There’s something in the mind of God for you and if you’re busy trying to fulfil that big purpose of God for your life, trust me, you will have little or no time left to try to be like someone else. You’re a Masterpiece!!! Nothing like you has ever been made. You know I see these day everybody wants to be like someone else, they want to preach like someone, sing like someone, act like someone not knowing that, that someone was meant to remind them that they also had a unique essence the world wants to see. Sadly however, many have turned themselves to mindless clones. Funny enough, no one can succeed at being someone else, the best you will be is second best, or you will perpetually remind the world of the original version. Do your job at minding your business and focusing on your purpose and assignment on earth, because that’s all your eternity will count for. You don’t want to get into heaven and narrate to God how you lived in the shadow of another man, while your own stage and audience waited for you all your life.
Eph 2:10(KJV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
So God has been anticipating your arrival on the earth all these several thousands of years, just because He had a unique plan for you, and then after such a long wait, you arrive and then decide to live your life in comparison with another. Trust me If I were God, I won’t find that funny. You are different! And by that I mean differently gifted, differently anointed and differently ordained. You have no business comparing yourself with someone else, it’s a taboo is this kingdom. It will rob you of all the ingenuity God packaged in you before the world began. The day you begin to appreciate, recognise and treat yourself as a MASTERPIECE, that day you enter into a realm of peace and contentment. You must KNOW how special you are in order to overcome envy, then you will know you’re not disadvantaged. You’re not inferior to any singles human being on earth, there’s nothing they have that you should be envious of, if you pay attention to what you have.
1Tim 6:6(KJV) But godliness with contentment is great gain.1Tim 6:6(EasyEnglish) But God’s people should be happy with what they have. And they should really live for God. Then they are really rich.
Proverbs 27:4(EasyEnglish) An angry man is a cruel man who destroys everything. But a man is worse who will do anything to get other people’s things.
Admire what others have, respect it, celebrate it, but never covet it to a point where you despise what you have. You are a MASTERPIECE, HIS MASTERPIECE. That settles your esteem for life. To have a character full of Grace, you must overcome envy and its associated tendencies. I’ll see you on Friday, have a fruitful week ahead.
