King Solomon (who history acknowledges as the wisest man to have lived) made this observation.
“I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Eccl 4:4
He looks around him and sees that everyone’s work and everything they’re trying to achieve is motivated by their jealousy over what everyone else is doing or what they have achieved. And he says, it’s dumb! It’s meaningless! Continue reading
Last year my friend and I got Gold Class movie tickets as a Christmas gift. We got ourselves settled into the comfy couches (DO NOT go when you are tired unless you’re just wanting to pay for a nap – waaaay too cozy!) and took a selfie – as you do – and checked-in online, tagging the friend that had given us the tickets so they could see us enjoying them.
A friend of mine, married with two adorable kiddies, posted on the picture saying “oh to be single again”!
Ok, firstly, pretty sure married people are allowed to go to the movies too! But that’s beside the point. Continue reading
If you’ve ever been to a kids’ athletics competition and watched the sprint races you might have noticed a common phenomenon. In their competitive enthusiasm to run *really* fast and, more importantly, faster than the others you’ll often see them spending more time worrying about where their fellow competitors are than what they’re actually doing themselves. Any sense of technique or “rhythm” (which are the hallmarks of good sprinting) go out the window as they look to the left and right of themselves to see how they’re tracking.
“Oooh, I’m beating him, I’m going great!” … “Oooh, he’s beating me, go faster!!”
I’ve seen children so distort their bodies to check around them that they can end up running out of their lanes (and disqualifying themselves from the race) as a result. At the very least, they are highly unlikely to run their best race if this is their focus.
True in the physical – true in the spiritual. Continue reading
Hi. My name is Kimberly and I get jealous (a lot)!
**chorus – Hi Kim!**
It feels better to get that out. Confession is good for the soul!
Whilst I wouldn’t call it my friend, jealousy has definitely been a constant companion. More like an inappropriate friend-slash-stalker, always lurking, always nearby.
Jealousy, for me, centres around my (and others’) life stage. I’m single and childless – and not by choice or expectation. I am frequently jealous of the “coupledness” of others. I am jealous of the sense of belonging and connection they experience within marriage – they have their ‘person’. I am jealous that others go home from things with or to partners and families and I go home alone. I sometimes literally ache with the desire to be a mum – to be a little person’s person.
That’s the default of my unchecked, undisciplined thought life. I really love my life as it is now. I love the freedoms and opportunities that are mine to enjoy in this season. It’s why I choose to FIGHT the jealousy rather than let it embitter me. But it is a constant wrestle, a daily choice; a battle not always won. Continue reading
kimberly smith 