Looks Can Be Deceiving!

Friday's Devotion (2-11-05)

"Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways." Proverbs 3:31 (KJV)

Envying is such a deadly sin. Why? Envying others is deadly because, it often causes us to commit other sins. If I envied a known murderer, then I would be likely to murder people. I remember when I was a wrestling fan. I guess you could say that I envied certain wrestlers, maybe even idolized them. Anyway, because of that I acted like these people too, because I was younger then. These wrestlers that I liked, didn't always have good behavior: They would cuss, they would cheat to win, they would drink, and they'd do about anything they felt like doing. Envying them, caused me to sin. The only one we should envy or idolize is Christ!

It is written, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." I believe that envying others, is like making them a god in your life. People will say, "That guy is really good looking, I wish that I looked like him!" People will also say, "That person is so cool, I wish I was as cool as them!" The sad thing is that there are even Christians envying non-believers. They're envying people who don't have Christ! Can you believe that? What's there to envy?

There is a saying that I hear and use a lot, this is so true, "Don't want what others have, if you don't know what they went through to get it!" Here's an example of why: A lot of police officers would like to carry mace, but the ones who did had to do something to be able to carry mace. The ones who are allowed to carry the mace, actually had to spray it into their own eyes! At least that is the way, it used to be. I don't know if it's still that way, but I think you get the point. Everyone else's life isn't always what it seems to be. Just because everything looks good when you see someone, doesn't mean things are really that good in their life. Looks can be deceiving!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this message and for all things. Please forgive us of all our sins and we forgive all those who've wronged us. Help us not to be envious of others. May the only one we want to be like and want to have what He has be Jesus Christ, your Son. In Jesus, name. A-men!

God bless!

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