The Back-to-School Parade of Envy & The Trauma of Comparison – Purity 1753
Purity 1753 09/04/2025 Purity 1753 Audio Podcast
Purity 1753 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of what I am calling “I-90 West September Splendor” comes to us from yours truly as I captured this “dashboard-cam view” of what I thought to be a magnificent blue sky while driving back to my place “down by the River”, Tuesday afternoon.
Well, it’s Thursday and I share this highway pathway photo as a visual reminder and encouragement to get on or to stay on the path of Christian Discipleship and to “enjoy the ride” as you pass through this life on the way to God’s kingdom in eternity.
I positively love this time of year and even though I have been laid up with my leg injury and haven’t been as active as I would like to be, I really appreciate getting out and seeing how the pleasant late summer weather makes everything crisp and bright and how the cool mornings require a jacket or sweater until the afternoon heat reminds you that it is still summer after all.
But even though it’s still summer, today children everywhere will you that it’s not because summer vacation is over, as even the last most fortunate students will be going back to school today.
Some will be happy to go see their school mates, but others are dreading today as they will have to see their enemies, those school rivals or bullies, and other kids who will cause them to feel less than because of what they have or don’t have.
I’ll never forget when I went to public school in second grade and how I was judged by my new classmates at John L. Edwards elementary school for having “jeepers”, which back in the day meant that you had cheep sneakers. I didn’t know that there was anything wrong with my department store no brand sneakers until I went to school and discovered that if I didn’t have Nikes or some other “cool” name branded shoes on my feet , I was a target for ridicule or teasing.
Unfortunately, that still happens today, I am sure, and it is often only the first lesson that we learn about how people will judge or reject you based on how you compare with others. When I realized my sneakers were not admired, I envied the kids who had sneakers that didn’t bring condemnation.
Speaking of envy, the Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah devotion for today speaks on that topic and I am sharing it on the blog today to help all of us to know God’s perspective about life and we should avoid this jealous trap of the heart. David Jeremiah writes:
“PARADE OF ENVY
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy. – Acts 13:45
“A recent article in Psychology Today said, “Envy is our culture’s silent partner. We scroll social media and quietly compare. We see someone else’s good fortune—an award, a baby, a beach vacation—and feel a little sting, then a little shame about the sting. Nobody wants to admit it.”
The Scripture presents quite a parade of envious people. Rachel envied her sister Leah (Genesis 30:1); Joseph’s brothers envied him (Genesis 37:11); the tribal leaders envied Moses (Psalm 106:16); Saul envied David (1 Samuel 18:8); the psalmist was envious of the rich and famous (Psalm 73:3); the chief priests envied Jesus (Mark 15:10); members of the Corinthian church envied each other (1 Corinthians 3:3). And behind it all, Lucifer was jealous of Almighty God (Isaiah 14:12-15).
If you’re envious of someone, go to God in prayer. First, confess envy as sin. Second, thank God for all the unique blessings He has given to you. Third, pray for the person of whom you are envious. It can be a simple prayer, but God will use it to help that person and to heal your own heart as well.” – David Jeremiah
“Envy goes further than just wanting what someone else has; it is the begrudging, frustrating consternation that that person has it.”– Mike Fabarez
Amen. Some have said that the “bait of Satan” is offense (when we are hurt or offended – we lash out and sin) but, as Jeremiah’s message shows us, Lucifer’s sin was pride, which was expressed in His being envious of God.
All those examples of envy that Jeremiah gives from the Bible, don’t end well as envy leads those people to either sin or find their destruction because they had envy in their hearts.
God shows us these examples in scripture so we can learn from them. These cautionary examples are given to help us to learn to be content with what God has given us. When we are envious of what others have, or are offended by the fact others have more or better things then we do, we suffer from what some have called “the trauma of comparison”. The trauma of comparison occurs when we suffer negative moods and mind states through our comparing ourselves to others.
God doesn’t call us to be envious or to drive us try to keep up with the Joneses or to strive to out do one another in some twisted American dream competition.
God calls us to find peace and the pathway to God’s peace isn’t found with the accumulation of possessions or worldly experiences.
God calls us to find peace with Him, by keeping our eyes on Him and being thankful for what He has provided us with.
When we look away from God and become ungrateful for what we have, we feel the trauma of comparison and react from envy, jealousy, depression, or anger and we lose the peace and joy of contentment that could be ours.
So, the next time you feel that negative pull toward envy or offense, check yourself and realize that someone else’s good fortune doesn’t take away from yours, and remind yourself that God has been gracious to you too.
Overcome envy by congratulating others for what they have been given and thank God for blessing them, and while you are at it, thank God for blessing you too.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/.
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
(While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling By John G. Kruis on Amazon )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Peace – Rest.
Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Today’s verses fall under the eleventh point of our counseling reference guide resource section on Peace – Rest.
11. The peace of God comes through praying in faith.
Today’s Bible verses are the Christian recipe for anxiety that I give out to anyone who is new to walking in the Spirit.
The pathway to God’s peace is paved with a conversational relationship with the Lord. To stop worrying about things, we are instructed to pray to God about everything and to ask for help and to thank Him for what we He has done. This is how we “live in Christ Jesus”, by lignin like Jesus – who constantly spent time in prayer with the Father, asking for help and thanking Him.
So follow today’s recipe and live like Jesus did and you can watch your worries disappear in the presence and care of the Lord.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “Day by Day Along the Way” By Jay E. Adams.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Adams’ books for your own private study and to support the late author’s work. This resource is available online for less than $20 at many sites.
Day 252
Truly, I say to you, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” – Luke 23:43
Those who believe in the unscriptural teaching of conditional immortality (popularly known as “soul sleep”), twist the meaning of this verse by moving the comma that follows “you” to a position following “Today.” Again and again Jesus used that same expression “Truly, I say to you” in ways that always meant that the comma would always follow the word “you.” Such special pleading shows the desperation of such teachers. Jesus said that both of their souls went to Paradise upon death. Their souls were awake, enjoying the blessings of heaven. The verse also refutes the idea that Jesus suffered in hell. On the cross He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). How wonderful to know that “to depart” this life is to “be with Christ (which is far better).” Better than what? Better than anything this present world has to offer! (See also Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8.)[1]
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[1] Jay E. Adams, Day by Day along the Way (Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 2020), 260.
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