welcome friends.....thanks for popping in my world....
I'd love to know you've stopped by, so please note that the comment section is now found at the title of each post.

Going "green" isn't always a good thing.

I have been struggling with a case of envy for the past week or so..... and then my friend Jen blogged about how that Little Green monster was creeping into her heart as well. I took her message as God poking at me and working on my heart that I had my own to finally confront and deal with. You see, Jen is a wonderful mama who loves Jesus too. So, it was comforting and relieving to read her words and know that I wasn't this horrible bitter person for having the same feelings. (BTW, she has a great sense of humor and a warm heart. Pop on over in her world to say "hi").

So yeah, in a warped way, it's refreshing to read about others struggle with sin. Because the truth is.......we all battle sin.

everyday.

We know that God doesn't take a day off doing His awesome works.........well, either does the enemy.

OK, so here it goes.....I am going to be pretty transparent here. I can display a smorgasbord of sin in one day. Just take a day where I've had a lack of sleep and a foul case of PMS and it can get ugly. This past week or so.......I had a double triple helping of envy. I also made sure I plopped a scoop of resentment on my plate........and oh, can you pass the strife too?

I had money envy
I had farm envy
I had baby envy
heck, I even had blog envy.

This is probably how I appeared to God. Veruca Salt from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.

"I want it Daddy! I want it all!" *shudder*

I got into that place of sin where it binds you. It frustrates you. It steals your joy and peace.

Envy can be truly destructive.....we have the Bible to give us great examples of that. Just take Cain and Abel. eek! Or Joseph's brothers....or Saul being so jealous of David. It all started with desiring their own selfish gain, taking other people's success personally, and/or yearning for a higher position/rank in life.

Now we all are guilty of even a mild case of envy at one time or another. The common worldly phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" confirms that. Envy really just starts with our own desires and desires are part of our heart. We can want things in our life such as a nicer home or a little more security in finances. There is nothing wrong with having these yearnings as long as we realize that they do not bestow value on our lives. What we have does not make us who we are.

And like a magnet, envy can and will attract more sin and unhappiness. It brought me to open the doors of gossip and complaining, yet two more things that disappoint My Father. I was being a spoiled brat who, by being envious/jealous.......wasn't appreciating all the great blessings that God has placed on my life. I was focusing my energy on what I didn't have instead of all the amazing gifts I did have.

So today, I am choosing to be vulnerable and honest. Envy is often secretive and I am taking my first step to defeat it by admitting and bringing this to God (and now to whoever is reading this).

Thankfully we serve an amazing God who is full of grace and forgiveness. Through His Perfect Love, we can cover envy. By loving others, we can be sincerely happy that they are blessed, rather than wanting what they have.

I want to be motivated to do hard work so that it pleases God and helps others, not just for my own personal gain.

I don't want to keep up with The Joneses. Ecclesiastes 4:4 says: "And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

So God.....I am ashamed, but bringing this to You. Please remove this ugly envy from my heart......replace it with love, appreciation and pure joy. I know and trust that You, and only You, will always supply all my needs. I desire to swap out the "I want's" with more "thank you's" from today forward. Please work on me in this area.....

In Jesus Name~
Amen


I hope you are having with a beautiful weekend....filled with fun, family and friends. I hope you take the time to look around and appreciate all that you have. Take two minutes and let me know what you are thankful for today (a great way to drive out thoughts of what you don't have).....and I promise I'll be happy to hear how God is blessing you.

(unless you tell me that you just found out you are having twins when you weren't even trying, found a savings account with 20 grand in it and are off to work on your 200 acre farm.... then blog about it to your 384563 subscribers.......)

*kidding!!....well.....kinda. ;)

keepin it real~
*~Michelle~*

21 comments:

. said...

You have no idea how much I needed to read this morning. Thank you, Michelle!

Mich said...

Beautiful words, my friend.

I just got back from camp last night and already found myself fighting to not get back into "the old swing of things" and hold on to the new lessons learned.

I needed your post. Thanks for sharing your heart.

Summer said...

I loved reading that, Michelle. We all need that reminder from time to time. The enemy sure knows how to bring that out in everyone once in awhile.

Today, I am thankful that I have a beautiful, healthy almost 2 year old, suckling at my breast. I am so thankful that I am/was able to breastfeed both my kid's for an extended amount of time. That they were/are both healthy enough TO breastfeed.

I am thankful that I woke up today to 2 gorgeous kid's, that were able to jump on me and sing to me, to wake me up. I am thankful I was able to HEAR their singing and SEE their bouncing.

Today, I am thankful for many things but mostly my family's health and my 2 absolutely amazing children and out pets that bring us SOOOOO much joy and laughter! And the sun. Mmm. It's shining bright.

Anonymous said...

I am happy and thankful for your two ninnies. Love, J

Beth in NC said...

What a great post! A great reminder for all of us to check our hearts.

Love!
b

5forjesus said...

Oh Michelle, this is what God has been working on me ALL day. I was at the TEACH convention and laughing with Todd Wilson (FamilymanMinistries) about the Lies Homeschool Moms Believe. Oh how I cried...I believed every one of them. Everyone's house is cleaner than mine, more organized, everyone's kids are smarter and sweeter than mine. Everyone else has a better marriage...etc, etc, etc. BUT Praise the LORD, I can be free from these lies if I just be REAL with my family. Thank you Michelle for being really REAL. I needed to hear this today. I am so thankful to be blessed with YOU as a homeschool Mom friend that I can be the REAL me with. I love how you are transparent and how much you love the LORD, your family and your life. You are such a blessing. Keep being REAL. Love you!

Billy Coffey said...

Ouch, Michelle! You stepped on my toes a little there. I've been fighting my own battle with this for the past few days. Thanks for reminding me that when I look around at what everyone has, I forget about all I've been blessed with.

Kendra Lee said...

Oh yeah - it's easy to be taunted by the GREEN monster. Great post!

Karen M. Peterson said...

It's definitely easy for envy to creep in on us. I get that from time to time when I'm hanging out with my brother and his awesome wife and their adorable son and then wonder how it is that I haven't talked to my boyfriend in almost a week and wonder if he's going to break up with me or propose.

But I digress. The point is that we all go through it and the first step is recognizing it in ourselves so that we can change and become better.

Kari Dana said...

I am here to testify that He will work on your green heart just as He did mine. In the past year, year and a half, I have been able to come to terms with the fact that the last neighborhood we moved to (the one before where we just moved to), I wanted to move to keep up with the Joneses (and the Smiths and the Millers).

Oh, how humbling and embarrassing it was for me to admit this not only to God and myself, but I've also admitted it to my husband and the friends I was trying to keep up with.

I believe that if we bring our own sin to the light, others can come to terms with their own. Does that make sense?

Just to assure you, I am not pregnant, we don't have anywhere near $20,000, and we have a super small yard with no trees. (And guess what? We're happy!!)

:)

sunnymama said...

Good for you for being so open and honest! Your post has given me stuff to think about. Thanks for sharing your envy :)

christy rose said...

Michelle,
This was just absolutely a wonderful, open amd honest post! I am so absolutely sure that every single person who reads this will be able to relate to it. When we are always looking at the blessings of others, we definitely forget, at that moment, what great and wonderful blessings that we have been given as well because they get hidden behind the green monster. You are so right. Going "green" isn't always a good thing! God loves us all so much doesn't He?
Christy

Kim said...

Oh Envy. Don't we all fall victim to it at one time or another.

I know I sure do.

My husband seems to be immune to it and when I sat back and contemplated why he was and I wasn't I came to the conclusion that envy often times stems from insecurity.

I know when I am insecure...THAT is the time that I am most unhappy with me, what I have and what I do.

You have it so together and you are so blessed that you have the ability to write the way you do and bring people to a better relationship with God.

Now, THAT is something to be envious of.

That is, IF we were going to be envious of anything......

christy rose said...

Michelle,
Please stop by my blog today. I have an award for you. I think you are great!
Christy

Kathleen said...

Hey there ... I decided to pay you a reciprocal visit, and I'm so glad I did! Straightaway I was gripped by "random". It goes so well with my own "eclectic"!

I'll be back.

Be blessed,
Kathleen

Joyeful said...

Michelle,
Through your honesty you've allowed God to use you to minister to others!!! Your transparency is so refreshing! Oh how I've been there!! That green monster sneaks up on me and I entertain him longer than I ever should!

You are right that thankfulness pops the green balloon! I am so thankful today God is my provider and that I can trust Him even in uncertain times!!

Alicia The Snowflake said...

What a great post! This is something I have definitely struggled with in my life as well. But thank you for the reminder that we need to keep our eyes on our own life and be thankful for our blessings.

Today I am choosing to be thankful that I have a home to call my own and a family that loves me. I need to remember to be thankful for the simple things in life and not need anything else.

Thanks for being honest and vulnerable! I hope you are having a great week so far!

E @ Scottsville said...

Just wanted to thank you for dropping by my blog. Stopped by to visit yours.

Love that you're keepin' it real!

Blessings,

Erica

I'm Jen. said...

*Hugs*

Sonja said...

Thanks, Michelle! once again, you've hit the nail on the head. :) Thanks for being vulnerable - it's true, what one of your readers said, "I believe that if we bring our own sin to the light, others can come to terms with their own."
Here's hoping I'll remember (and that God will work on me!) to be joyful in the many blessings He has given us.

Five Moms & A Blog said...

When envy rears it's ugly head, it can also cause anger or bitterness to root deeply into your soul, can't it.

It's only by surrending to the Lord's will for us, and trusting His judgement, (and with His help) that we can get thru that.

I always wanted more kids (specifically twins). I wanted a bigger house....etc. The more kids one was a huge issue, and I had to pray for years to be content, and to be thankful for what I had.

We can also sometimes be jealous of how the Holy Spirit is working in someone's life.

You see what God is doing, how God is using them, and it's easy to think oh I want that!

Our enemy will do anything to get our focus off of our Lord and onto ourselves!

Thank you for sharing so openly and honestly!

~Nan

 

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