--Psalm 37:4
I want the desires of my heart to be fulfilled. For these to be fulfilled, I must find my delight in God.
Why should God be my delight? How can I enjoy Him? Why should His every name, His every word, His every attribute, His every act be cause for greater delight?
Here's some ideas:
As to a jealousy for people's attention:
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." --1 Peter 5.6-7
When I lose myself in serving others, putting others before myself, and living a life of humility before God, I can be assured that He will lift me up in due time. I don't need to posit myself as the greatest in front of a crowd. I don't need to win the attention of fickle people. I don't need to constantly press to be at the forefront of the minds of others. God (who is infinitely wiser than me) will take care of that.
Problem: What about me? Instantly, my mind is thinking, "Well, if I am so busy meeting others needs, putting others before myself, and not parading myself, but humbly serving in the background, how are my needs going to get met? What about me!?!"
Answer: v. 7--Cast all your cares on God. I need to specifically pray those specific worries to Him. He cares for me, He loves me, He is working everything out for good. Don't worry about yourself, God knows, God watches, God cares.
As to a jealousy for possessions:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has caused us to born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." --1 Peter 1.3-4
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my Portion forever." --Psalm 73.26
God is my Portion. God has seen fit to give me what He has given me. Because of what He has done for me (see: mercy, new birth, Living Hope, resurrection), I have an inheritance. I have riches. I have all I could ever want. And guess what, unlike a 2010 Mustang, it won't rust (its imperishable), and unlike a new MacBook it won't break (its undefiled), and unlike an IPhone 3G S, it won't get outdated (its unfading).
As to a jealousy for happiness:
"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." --1 Peter 1.8-9
"You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." --Psalm 16.11
I have done some fun things in this life, but none of them has brought me inexpressible joy. A lot of joy? Yes. A lot of fun? Yes. A you-had-to-be-there kind of happiness? Yes. Inexpressible and filled with glory kind of joy? No. I thank God for happiness and I can enjoy things in this life only because of Him. But, true joy is found in the presence of God. True happiness is found in the gospel. As I delight in God, God promises inexpressible joy will be mine.
As to a jealousy for experiences:
"In this you rejoice, though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." --1 Peter 1.6-7
I have a caring God. He brings me into situations where the Holy Spirit can refine me to look more like Christ. God, each and every day (and mostly through what I might consider to be the "mundane"), He is giving me experiences that cause me to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Too often I live as if 95% of my life is a boring hassle. I live life like a 'fun' junkie in search of my next fix, never satisfied until I get more and more 'fun'. I don't have to. Instead, I can delight in God and trust that every day the experiences and trials and highs and lows and fun and the mundane will result in the praise and honor and glory of Jesus one day.
As to a jealousy for abilities:
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." --1 Peter 4.10
I am blessed to be able to serve in a church and a youth group. I am blessed to have received gifts that I can use to serve the church and bring glory to the name of Jesus. I tend to ignore my gifts, take them for granted, and want other gifts. Rather than try to satiate the never-ending thirst for more and better (if I was gifted with a guitar, I would want to be gifted with drums, then piano, then every other instrument, then with creative song-writing abilities, then with a great voice, then with recording abilities, then with production skills, then with... see, its unappeasable), I need to use what God has given me and serve.
The reason is in v.11--that in everything God (not Dan), might be glorified. Its all His anyways...I'm just blessed to have been given a stewardship.
Stop comparing and follow Christ.
"Rather than try to satiate the never-ending thirst for more and better(...)I need to use what God has given me and serve."
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