Scripture Text: Ecclesiastes 4:4-6
Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:6
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. When man looks at his neighbor’s achievements, if he wants to achieve better than his neighbor, envy sprouts in his heart to desire more than his neighbors have. Not all desires are bad, but most of our desires are the cause of our envy to our neighbor. We want to be on top. Our tendency is to exceed from others, so we work hard to achieve our wants.
In Exodus 20:17, the command was not to covet your neighbor’s house, not to covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, nor anything that belong to your neighbor’s. Yes, we understand that command not to covet. But this is not the case, the issue here is we want to achieve more than the achievement of our neighbors. We want to be the best of anything that our neighbors have. That is meaningless. The author wanted us to be content of what we have.
He concluded that one handful with tranquility is better than two handfuls with toil. We are toiling too much where our body can wear and be full of worries about anything. The author was full of desires. He can have anything he wanted. We are also like him; we are never content of what God has given us. So, others are toiling to death and at the end of the day, they are so tired of toiling for their achievements.
The author advised us to be content then he concluded that there is one desire that a man can have peace of mind. The desire to please God on whatever our hands do. Give glory to the one who gave us our wisdom and talents. Share it to people we love and never envy our neighbors, always please God, desire his will for us and do it. We will have a peaceful life each day when we wake up if we desire God first.
Reflect
1. Do you envy your neighbors?
2. Do you share your blessing?
3. Are you workaholic?
Remember
Envy will sprout when our hearts desire this worldly thing, but when you desire for God to give you a peaceful life, then you will have it because God wants you to live with contentment.
Read
Exodus 20:1-17; Ecclesiastes 7:1-17; Matthew 6:25-34; Proverbs 30:1-9
Pray
Teach us Lord, to love our neighbor, to share our blessings and have peace with our them. Lead us not to envy. Thank You, Lord for all we have received from You. This we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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