It Just Doesn't Matter
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Isaac had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.” “And King Abimelech said to Isaac, ‘Go away from us; you have become too powerful for us.’”
Envy is a subtly devastating sin. Envy caused Isaac to flee for his life. But envy is even worse for the one being envious. Isaac was able to move on and continue to flourish. I am willing to bet those envious of Isaac spent the rest of their lives living in the pit of their anger and self-loathing. Envy is not something as titillating sexual sins, but it can be every bit as destructive. Envy rots one's self-worth and personal dignity. It is an invisible crippler. But there is a cure.
The cure for the dreaded disease of envy is faith in a kingdom beyond this world. If I believed I must "go for the gusto" because I become nothing more than dust when I die, I want as much as I can get from this world. Any pain or inconvenience will provide pangs of envy. They will continue to fester and grow with no way to relieve them until they control the person's mind and heart.
The gospel's good news is that we have the kingdom of God that continues for all eternity. Even better, we hold an invitation to the kingdom of God. We haven't earned it, but our Triune God freely gives it. In eternal time, this world is but a fraction of a second. In the grander realm of eternity, who cares about who has more than someone else? IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!
So when you see a family member rubbing it in a little bit that they are going on a vacation, you can only dream of taking? Remember, "I just doesn't matter." When you were made to feel somehow less than because you don't drive a luxury car, "It just doesn't matter." When you look back and wish you had made decisions that allowed you to own homes up north in the summer, down south in the winter, and two others just because, you can say, "It just doesn't matter."
Today, think about the things and people you envy. How has envy manipulated your life? What desires have been left unfulfilled? We are so much more than these earthly things. We are eternal beings, and the people to be envied are those who live for the God who brings the kingdom of God. Wipe envy out of your heart and soul because envy "just doesn't matter!"
