(Lower those eyebrows... it's Biblical.)
Enough of this covet-crazy world with photoshopped facades of perfection plastered everywhere.
We were given The Ten Commandments, not because God is a fun hater, but to protect us from ourselves. Obeying them helps us avoid unnecessary pain and suffering.
The 10th Commandment says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
[Note: Back in the day, a donkey was a mode of transportation. We're talking about cars here.]
Competition is healthy, but as Teddy Roosevelt put it, "comparison is the thief of joy."
Numerous psychological studies have been conducted, proving the unintended harmful consequences that arise from constant comparison as we scroll others' highlight reels on social media. We draw unrealistic conclusions of how great everyone else's lives are and we poison our brains with jealousy and self-doubt.
The reality is, as we covet thy Joneses, the Jones Family is peeking over picket fences at their neighbor's greener grass as well.
Being depressed because someone is smarter, skinnier, more successful, or otherwise presumed better than you is a treacherous and toxic path. Additionally, it's a huge slap in the face to Our Creator. In the perfection of God's design, we are each uniquely equipped with an arsenal of tools specific for our individual purpose.
All too often, we neglect our God-given strengths and talents because we are so distracted by what we're not and what we don't have.
We need to stop focusing on everyone else's covet-worthy attributes, saying, "I wish I had..", "I wish I was...", or "if only..."
The truth is, LIFE ISN'T FAIR! Some people seem to have all the luck AND the looks, but don't feed the disease of self-victimization. If you want it, work for it! In the meantime, be patient, be prayerful, be thankful, BE YOU! Don't be a diluted version of you who is settled, complacent, and a submissive servant to societal portrayals of normalcy. Be YOU! That one-of-a-kind package you (and only you) were given...?
ROCK IT!
Let's all stop green-eyed-glaring at our neighbors' houses and wives and husbands and cars and donkeys. Instead ROCK YOUR DONKEY! Start glorifying God by owning your circumstances, recognizing your talents, employing your tools, and truly fulfilling your unique purpose.
Imagine a world where we each discover, harness, and utilize our own unique talents. The untapped-potential of the human race is beyond fathomable.
