Hastings Haven

Spiritual Envy

“At times I envy others more gifted than me. I’ve envied pastors who are more “successful” or can preach better than me. I’ve been jealous of other song writers. This is sick. It reveals a fundamental defect in my motives – I’m living for my glory, not God’s. If all I cared about was the glory of Christ I would rejoice when he gifts others or uses them in greater ways than me.”

-Mark Altrogge

#idc-container">Mark Altrogge has hit the nail on the head. None of us like to admit it, but we’ve all (definitely including me) at times succumbed to spiritual envy’s grasp when comparing ourselves to the success of others: more awards at a tournament, more compliments on a performance, more Bible verses memorized, more comments on a blog post, better speaking, better writing, better insights, better gifts, and on and on…

But that’s when we’ve completely missed the point. It’s not about you. And it’s not about me. It’s all about Him.

That last sentence Altrogge wrote is what hits home hardest for me: “If all I cared about was the glory of Christ I would rejoice when he gifts others or uses them in greater ways than me.” Think about it.