Are you envious or coveting?
Social media is a great tool. It allows friends, family, and loved ones to connect, share, and communicate. Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and other sites offer the means to let people share ideas, DIY’s, and other fun information with words, pictures and videos at the click of a button. However, if we aren’t cautious, we can start to covet or be envious. One of the Ten Commandments in the Bible is: do not covet (Exodus 20:17). I’m sure you can understand why coveting is unhealthy, but I will go a little more in depth. Coveting and being envious is not healthy for us because we can become so focused as to what others have; its as if our happiness depends on it. Furthermore, we dwell miserably on what we don’t have. We compare ourselves to other people which evokes emotions like jealousy, bitterness, and an ungrateful heart. For example, what if you gave your child a gift that you put so much thought into? And then they dismissed it because they wanted something else. How would that make you feel? When we are bent out of shape on what we don’t have, we lose sight of what we do have, which makes us miserable and ungrateful. We cannot have a spirit of gratitude wanting what others have, and overlooking what we have. When we hold ourselves to the world’s standard or other people’s standard. We think we need those things to feel accepted, important, or liked. We even find ourselves wanting things that we would have never wanted if we hadn’t seen that ad, post, picture, or video. Jealousy and constantly being in a state of want steals our joy, and we let our happiness depend on it. James 3:16 says For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practiceI don't know about you but things only give me temporary happiness or false happiness. It gives me instant gratification for a few days until I'm on the hunt for something else. When we want something, it's all we think about; it consumes us. We compare and envy and Proverbs 14:30 says A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. A tranquil heart sounds a lot better to rotting bones to me, what do you think?
It’s easy to be ensnared by jealous or coveting and not even know it. I say this out of experience. For example: Constantly seeing pictures of people traveling make me want to travel. When people post their before and after shots after they’ve slimmed down, it makes me self-loath and want to slim down. Even pictures about people’s pregnancy, baby shower, or birthday parties make us think that ours need to be just as glamourous or extravagant. Social media just makes everything look better, doesn’t it? And recently, I heard comment about a photo being Instagram worthy. Oh boy, now there's even a standard to post on Instagram? Why is that even a thing? Truthfully, that comment made me a little angry. What would you say if your child asked you if their photo was worthy? How much explaining would you have to do? I want my children to have it engrained in their minds how much I love them; they shouldn't have to question their worth! Which leads to the fact that this is just not happening to us adults, but also to children.
Have you ever had your child/nephew/niece watch YouTube, and then tell you they want something called “squishy, blind bag, or kinder surprise egg”? My almost 3-year old can list off a whole bunch of things she wants from watching YouTube. I’ve had to sit my other two girls down to tell them they don’t need everything they see on YouTube, because they too are coveting and envious. They didn't know what those two terms meant, and I had to explain it to them. I was sick of the pouting and constant asking of I want this and I want that. Now this post has nothing against those who display photos, videos, and stuff on social media because the truth is that we all do (those who are on social media). But what I am trying to get at is that we need to examine our own hearts. And quite frankly, sometimes we just need to take a break from social media. Don't let the pictures of parties, gifts, and stuff arouse emotions of coveting.
And lastly, I feel the need to remind you that no one is perfect, no matter how grand their life looks on Social Media (I promise you). It doesn’t matter how much money a person has, how perfect their features are, how talented they are, how much stuff they have, or how many vacations they take a year. No one is immune to pain, death, and sickness. Stuff and things only make us happier momentarily. The real issue is that we need to fill up on Christ. Let God, His love, and all His goodness fill that God-size hole in your heart. The peace and joy God gives isn't depending on stuff, circumstances, or events. You can have joy no matter what your situation is.
Let us Pray.
Powerful and loving Father,
I praise you! You are magnificent and glorious! Thank you for the readers and for this message. The world tries to make us believe that we need to have certain things, look a certain way, or be a certain person, but you openly love us and accept us for who we are. We don’t have to meet a standard for you to love us. You love us anyway. I pray that you will touch the heart of these readers and let them know they are loved and accepted. Help us to take a step back from social media, and to remember its true purposes. Let us use it to connect with loved ones, share memories, and build relationships, not to want, covet, and be resentful about all the things we don’t have. Instead, remind us of all the things we do have. Thank you Lord for this message, and I pray that you would meet the needs of all the readers. Let Your Will be done! In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
Prayerfully,
Pam
