The most unhappy place in the Happiest Place On Earth
Lessons on Jealousy
By Rev. Adam Fox
Sorry for the delay in posting this latest edition of the Foxtrot. Last week I was on vacation in beautiful sunny Orlando, Florida!
That's right, a vacation!
Not to brag, but this was my first vacation since high school, so it was long over due. And I took advantage of every minute.
So my cousin Jana, her fiance John, my girlfriend Andrea and myself all flew down to Universal Studios to have fun watching Harry Potter World. It was amazing. There were plenty of memories made for all of us. And a few life lessons that we learned, like 90% humidity and caffeine are not a good mix...
But for Andrea and I this trip was more than just a vacation, I used it to propose to her and she agreed to marry me. So YAY!!
The trip was beyond amazing, and most assuredly memorable. From all the parks, to the food, to the shows and rides, even the roller-coasters - or so I am told. But I must admit, my three days in the park there was one thing that got worse as each day, each ride passed. The lines.
For each ride and coaster, Universal offers general admission and a special express pass for those that pay for it. We did not. So for most rides, we waited anywhere from 20-75 minutes. I do not mind waiting, it is part of the experience and I had my fiance to wait with - bonus!
But the people who had the special passes got through the lines in record times. At first it did not bother me, but as it got hotter, and I got more irritated those Express Pass suckas made me envious.
Jealousy and Envy do that to us.
They make us regret our choices, what we have for what others have and are doing. For me, it was that Express Line. I wanted to be able to flash a laminated card and skip ahead of hundreds. Ignoring the fact that I was in a cooler line, with an amazing woman whom I love.
Jealousy is a thief and robber. It is a great tool that Satan uses.
As Christians we have so much to be thankful for. We have been forgiven by the Creator of the Universe for all the sins that we have committed. We get to be in Heaven forever with our God and Savior who loves us so much. We as Americans live in a country that is free and does not come after us to worship or assemble.
That is just scratching the surface. But jealousy creeps in. It does to all of us.
It could be in the physical attributes of another person.
It could be in the car someone has
It could be in a job or career
It could be in how people treat others compared to how you feel you are treated.
But the Bible shows us often that we are to trust God completely and not be jealous. Look at Saul and David. Saul was jealous of David because of how their people celebrated David more coming how from a battle. " Saul has killed his hundreds, while David has killed his thousands."
Jealousy drove Saul mad and got him killed.
We need to be careful.
James 3:14-16 warn us what envy and jealousy can do.
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
Solomon also warned us that envy can rot the bones.
For me, that means being okay waiting in lines. Enjoying the people and places I am with instead of those badge-flashing vacationers.
What does it mean for you? Ask God for help in this area of your life.
For me, that means being okay waiting in lines. Enjoying the people and places I am with instead of those badge-flashing vacationers.
What does it mean for you? Ask God for help in this area of your life.
Until next time
Cheers and Excelsior!
