Great point

--
When Satan is knocking on your door.  Simply say, "Jesus could you get that for me?"
Karen Carter '74



> Recently I was listening to a sermon which focused on a litmus test that
> might help determine whether or not I was following the will of God for my
> life, that is following the Holy Spirit's guidance in life. The three
> checkpoints were
>
> 1. Am I frustrated?
>
> 2. Do I irritate others?
>
> 3. Am I jealous or envious?
>
> I wouldn't limit these three negative or selfish emotions to that test for
> sure as certainly there are others that would also serve to show the same
> result, but I found myself focused on these three. I began to think of
> jealousy or envy. I found myself looking back at various thoughts or
> aspirations I had and found they were birthed out of a jealous or envious
> heart. I look at some I know who never seem to have financial issues,
> plenty of money to go around, and actually to be even more sinful as long
> as I'm at it, notice they spend it very foolishly and much on self
> indulgences. I sit back and wonder if I had that, how I could not only
> live better personally, but just think how much I could help others in
> need. Either buy them something they need, or give them money to help them
> through a rough time, help fund a missionary work in other countries, go
> on a mission work myself, and here these folks just spend spend spend
> foolishly. And so, I found myself feeling jealous and envious of what they
> have, the lifestyle they now have. Granted it wasn't always this way for
> these people, they worked for it for sure, but still I had those feelings
> nonetheless. Convicted after hearing this message on following the Holy
> Spirit, I realized that perhaps my discontentment is birthed not out of a
> real need fore more things and better lifestyle, but  that I really don't
> have a clue on what god wants me to do with my life, and that I'm really
> not letting the Holy Spirit guide me. Or if I am following what God is
> saying, I've fallen off the spiritual wagon and drifted off to selfish
> desires. It occurred to me that if I really, honestly, and confidently was
> following the guidance of God through the Holy Spirit, it wouldn't matter
> if a neighbor lived a life of perverseness and suddenly won the lottery,
> or if a different neighbor who was a continuous financial bumbler
> inherited a wealthy estate and now is set for life, or any number of
> scenarios that seemed unfair or unjust were to be witnessed. If I felt I
> really was following god, I would indeed be joyful, and satisfied where I
> was no matter what I had or did or the like. Perhaps one might parallel it
> to a husband and wife relationship. If a wife notices that a neighbor was
> getting a bit friendly with her husband and she was glued with a boiling
> rage as she watched them converse, if their spousal relationship was not
> solid, jealousy would rise and take over her will. Where as if they had a
> rock solid and integretous relationship, she could probably glance over
> and without a care go change the clothes in the washer or some abstract
> task. In other words, if we find discontentment, frustration, find
> ourselves cool towards others or otherwise irritate or aggravate them,
> become jealous or envious, perhaps we need to look at where we are in
> relationship with God through his guidance by the Holy Spirit.  If we are
> indeed following God, what could we possibly be frustrated, irritated,
> envious or jealous about? We would know that where we are presently, no
> matter what others may have has no affect on us as God is in control and
> we are in tune with what is best for us. We know that God wants us to live
> peacefully, abundantly, live prosperously and fill our days with his joy,
> and the best method of achieving that in our own individual lives is to
> follow God keeping our eye on him and not our neighbor. We can live
> prosperously, abundantly, peacefully and joyfully no matter how much money
> we have, no matter what we are going through currently in life knowing
> confidently we are following God and just where we are meant to be at this
> time.