by Jeanette Gardner Littleton


“Here, I want you to look at this. It’s an article that all women need to read; I want to sell it to a magazine.”


A


I took the pages and read. The scene opened with this woman telling about sit- ting around a country club pool with her friends, all griping about their nannies and maids as they compared the ghastly colors their manicurists had put on their nails. I sneaked a peek at my new friend. She had seemed nice and ordinary. But as I read her article, my incredulity grew. I didn’t know such lifestyles really existed outside of novels and movies about the very rich. “Well, it’s interesting,” I told her when I finished reading. I didn’t bother to say that I certainly couldn’t relate to the “live- in help can be lousy” piece she had writ- ten, and that probably less than 3 percent of the women I’d ever met could. But that’s OK. She didn’t really want honest feedback; she just wanted some praise. The bonds of camaraderie I had felt with the woman earlier in the confer- ence were suddenly broken, serrated by


NEW ACQUAINTANCE at a writer’s conference approached me with several sheets of paper in her hand.


Struggling With I don’t envy others for their money, but for their leisure time.


provide food, clothes, housing, and health insurance for our kids.


I don’t envy others for their money; instead, I envy their leisure. I long to have the free time they have to pursue dreams and hobbies. I wish I could do the fun things they do with their kids, and regularly take play days with girlfriends—whether it’s for sitting by the pools complain- ing about nannies or doing ordinary things together. I even wish I had time to clean my house better. I get frustrated, as I know my husband does too, that his job is not enough to cover


another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.”


How can we keep that awareness of others’ advantages from leading us into sinful behaviors? Here are five ideas.


Deadly Sins


Be thankful. Colos- sians 2:7 encourages us to be “overflowing with thankfulness” (NIV) as we mature in Christ. When we’re tempted to concen-


the strings of envy that were twanging in my mind.


Even though I had seldom run across the “lovely idle” populace in my life, I’d heard those twangs stir before. I had worked full-time since my first job at age 18. Most of the years I had worked beyond the standard 40-hour work week, and usu- ally in ministry situations that did not pay well. Marrying a self-employed man didn’t help. It meant both of us had to work long hours and find financial shortcuts to


14 EVANGEL | October 2010


our non-extravagant needs. Even though I know statistics show that most American households require two full-time incomes, I still get a bit green when I encounter the lucky people with less frenetic work schedules.


Maybe you don’t have issues with carefree friends the way I do, but all of us probably have situations that make envy raise its ugly head. Merriam-Webster describes envy as “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by


trate on what we don’t have, it’s wise to refocus our thoughts on what we do have. It’s a simple step but can have surpris- ing results. Sometimes it’s helpful to just make a list of the good things we have and put it where we’ll see the list every day. Practice contentment. Paul wrote, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry . . . whether living in plenty or in want” (Phil. 4:12 NIV). An interesting caveat about this well-known scripture is the word learned. Contentment is an attitude we have to learn and consciously practice.


Realize God has a different calling for each


person (Rom. 12:6-8). God has given each of us different skills and abilities. He has called us to different situations in life. At times the grass will look greener in other people’s lives. We have to remember that if we’re walking with God, that means being content with the yard He puts us in until He moves us to another place. Have a heart-to-heart talk with God. Phi- lippians 4:6 encourages us to bring Him all


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32