“Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” So, Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.”
Saul’s deranged obsession with killing his son-in-law David
is a family tragedy.
Saul’s son Jonathon, and daughter Michal, both see their
dad’s unhinged resentment of David as indefensible. Saul’s envy alienates him from his friends
David and Samuel, as well as his own children.
It is hard to understand as Saul seems to have much to be
thankful for... tall and handsome, a powerful king, wealthy –Yet he allows jealousy to consume him. Despite
his blessings, he chooses to allow envy and insecurity to rule over him, and it
produces what those emotions always produce… pain and suffering.
We have similar choices to make. We all have a long list
of things we should be grateful for … So, the question becomes will we consciously
appreciate our blessings, or will we fixate on the blessings of others?
Envy produces anxiety and depression and is more powerful
than most of us realize. Too few of us actively guard our mindset. Which is a
shame because your mindset is the canvas on which you paint your life… Every
brushstroke will be impacted by it, and allowing self-centered envy to be your
canvas will produce a dull, unattractive picture. Saul’s envious attitude led
to a full emotional and mental breakdown… and destroyed his life. That should
be a cautionary tale for us.
So, what will you do this morning? Will you rejoice and
praise God for your blessings, or will you drink the poison of envy? If you allow the avalanche of jealousy to
begin, it will become unstoppable and bury you, while demolishing your
relationships.
Loving others means being overjoyed at their success. If
you don’t feel that, you have a heart problem, and getting more trophies,
recognition, and “stuff” won’t fix it.
Let your love for God, and thankfulness for His
blessings, cause you to deeply desire those same blessings for others. Starting
today, determine to become the head cheerleader for your friends and family…
you will be amazed at the joy it brings both of you.
“The jealous are troublesome to others, but a
torment to themselves.”
- William Penn
