How to Overcome Jealousy

Last week I shared about being broken and letting the light of Christ shine. Today's thought is a further reflection on the same theme.

One common struggle among Christians is jealousy. It could be jealousy over a another's Gucci handbag, a better car, a more successful career or even "better" children. As I shared last week pastors are not immune to the same poison of jealousy. If another pastor has a bigger church, we may boil inside with jealousy.

Where does jealousy come from, and how can we overcome it? Jealousy exists because at the heart of hearts we want to be the greatest. We want to be the best--not Joe, not Jane, but me! Jealousy is comparative by nature and stems from our desire to be better...than others. How can we overcome it? God's answer is radical. He says, "Consider others better than yourself (Phil. 2:3)." We struggle with jealousy because we want to be better than others, but God says simply, "Consider others better than yourself." Another person carries a better handbag? Just consider her better: "She is better than I am." Another has a more successful career? Just consider him better than you: "He is smarter. He is a better man." Do not fight and try to make yourself look better. Surrender and acknowledge others as better. That is Jesus' answer.

God's call for us is not to build our name, our own empire, but to serve others, and to disappear. This is the paradox of Jesus' teaching: "Whoever wants to be great must be a servant of all." A servant has no empire of his/her own. He/she serves another. He/she works to make others great. God calls us to serve others, entirely expend ourselves for the sake of others. That person will be called great in God's sight.

When we can consider others better than ourselves, we will be free. We will no longer live to be something that we are not--to impress others, to look better to others than we are, or even just to think about what others think about us. We will be truly free and be what we are made to be.

Break Me and Shine

About a month ago I saw a vision in my prayer. I was praying that God would break me. I knew that I was full of my ego, concerns for my success, my appearance before others, etc., so I was asking God to break me. While I prayed, I saw a small metal ball (the ball had a metal covering, not full of metal), which I recognized to represent me. I asked God, "Lord, break it. Crush it." As I prayed, I saw a bat come down and strike it. When the bat struck it, I was sure that the metal ball would collapse . Instead, when the cover ed, I saw that inside the metal cover was a ball of shining light, which I recognized as the light of Christ, and the light was beginning to shine through the . I realized that when I break, I do not get crushed. Instead, I finally release Christ to shine through me.

I still struggle mightily with my ego. When I hear about someone other pastor's success, I get jealous. I still want my name to be big instead of the name of Jesus Christ. I am desperately aware how little the love of Christ I have in my heart toward other people.

Everyday I pray that God would break me. Paradoxically, when my ego is broken, I will be set free and become truly myself--who God made me to be, how God has made me shine the light of Christ.

P.S. Please pray for the Connections Conference. It is happening this week, Mon-Wed.

The Value of a Soul

I sat in a room full of strangers. Over a hundred people I have never known before. An odd sensation came over me. Who are they? What are they? I could not connect. I felt even if they all died, it would make no difference to me.

One phenomenon of the (post-)modern age is that we are trained to see people as tools. If you are a store owner, when someone walks in, that person looks like a walking dollar sign, a potential consumer. If you are a manager, you look at an employee for what he/she can do in the job. If a politician, a person may simply be a number--the vote he/she can cast for you. We see people not for their intrinsic value, but for their extrinsic value.

Much of this utilitarian view of others te our perspective because we view ourselves the same way. We think our worth is in our utilitarian worth: how much money we make, how valuable we are to the company, etc.

But God says our worth is infinite because He made us in His image. We are more precious than the most ancient artifact--even if broken, infinitely valuable. God cares for each person; that's why each of us is of an infinite value. Yes, even that drunk sleeping on the side of the street, or that person in the pit of sin. Christ died for each soul, you and me, and them, and that's why each person is infinitely valuable.

May we look at each person we meet as a person of infinite value each day instead of a tool. May we look at each person as one that God cares for and Christ died for. May we care for them, as Christ would, and share Christ with them.

Hardship, A Blessing?

When we encounter difficulties or disappointments, we usually deplore. “Why?” It may be the loss of a job, relationship, or sickness. We consider a hardship a curse. God views hardships differently though. For God, hardships are necessary tools to mold a person for a greater purpose for the long haul.

While we live with short-term views, God works with long views. We want to have success NOW! God easily take 10 years and put us through hardship for the purpose of training us. Ten years is an investment for next fifty years, 5 generations, or even 500 years. That was the case with Joseph, David, Lincoln, and FDR among many others.

A Korean saying goes: “Hardship while young is worth even paying for.” There are things that can be achieved only through hardships. Only hardships can produce inner character that produces people who make long-term difference. Money cannot buy it. Even expensive trainers and training programs cannot help us. Only the furnace of hardship can produce a character of steely strength that can endure great challenges.

One key question for people being considered for leadership is “What major obstacles have you overcome in your life?” Without overcoming major challenges people lack the character to endure the future challenges.

Hardship is a not a curse, but a blessing. God is taking you through a training course. If you are experiencing hardship, believe that God is training you right now for a long-term future. Give thanks.