A vibrant young American player named Yealimi Noh won for the first time on the LPGA earlier this season after a broomstick putter reinvigorated her game.
At 23, one might think she didn’t have to wait too long for her big win, but given that Noh turned professional at 18 and watched so many of her peers hoist a trophy on the LPGA, she couldn’t help but wonder – why isn’t it coming?
Noh didn’t say that she was jealous. In fact, she said their success provided extra motivation.
But given that I’d been struggling with bouts of envy lately, I couldn’t help but wonder. In fact, I’d spent part of the drive to the tournament that week talking to the LPGA chaplain about the subject.
Aren’t I too old to be thinking like this? When will I outgrow this?
“When you get to glory,” she said with a chuckle.
I felt better.
The truth is, I’d recognized those thoughts right away as envy. I sent the person I was envious of a note of encouragement on a job well done.
That helped, but I was still frustrated that I had to fight the feeling at all.
Proverbs 14:30 says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
It’s so easy to look at someone else’s good fortune, talent, and opportunity and think, “Why not me?”
But then I’m quickly reminded – that’s not my race. That’s not what the Lord has planned for my life, at least not at this moment. The peace that passes understanding can only come from the Father and often belies what’s seen in the natural.
I finally decided that I’m grateful to be able to switch off those feelings when they arise. Those thoughts don’t rot my bones because I don’t let them stick.
In Colossians 3:2, Paul reminds us to set our “minds on things above, not earthly things.”
When envy comes, we turn to praise.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us even when our minds and hearts are filled with things that are not from you. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to help redirect our thoughts and fill our minds with wisdom and peace.