A Heart at Peace...

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."  Proverbs 14:30

So let's talk about a few things that keep our heart from being at rest. Did you know that envy can literally have physical results? This verse isn't just being metaphorical. Our emotional health greatly affects our physical health. 

"Envy" in this verse implies being "excited by the prosperity of others." It is the exact feeling
Asaph was struggling with in Psalm 73. But Asaph does the right thing, he takes those emotions to the Lord and reminds Himself of the truth. The end result? He realizes where his strength and prosperity comes from.

Read this: (and I apologize. Sometimes the fonts just DON'T work right on Typepad...and this is one of those days.)

 

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

 1Surely God is good to Israel, 
       to those who are pure in heart.

 ² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; 
       I had nearly lost my foothold.

 ³ For I envied the arrogant 
       when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

 ⁴ They have no struggles; 
       their bodies are healthy and strong. 

 ⁵ They are free from the burdens common to man; 
       they are not plagued by human ills.

 ⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace; 
       they clothe themselves with violence.

 ⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity; 
       the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

 ⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice; 
       in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

 ⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven, 
       and their tongues take possession of the earth.

 ¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them 
       and drink up waters in abundance. 

 ¹¹ They say, "How can God know? 
       Does the Most High have knowledge?"

 ¹² This is what the wicked are like— 
       always carefree, they increase in wealth.

 ¹³ Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; 
       in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

 ¹⁴ All day long I have been plagued; 
       I have been punished every morning.

 ¹⁵ If I had said, "I will speak thus," 
       I would have betrayed your children.

 ¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this, 
       it was oppressive to me

 ¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God; 
       then I understood their final destiny.

 ¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground; 
       you cast them down to ruin.

 ¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed, 
       completely swept away by terrors!

 ²⁰ As a dream when one awakes, 
       so when you arise, O Lord, 
       you will despise them as fantasies.

 ²¹ When my heart was grieved 
       and my spirit embittered,

 ²² I was senseless and ignorant; 
       I was a brute beast before you.

 ²³ Yet I am always with you; 
       you hold me by my right hand.

 ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, 
       and afterward you will take me into glory.

 ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? 
       And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

 ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, 
       but God is the strength of my heart 
       and my portion forever.

 ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish; 
       you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

 ²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God. 
       I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; 
       I will tell of all your deeds.

With the kids: I don't know about your house, but envy sure seems to stir up a lot of trouble with the kids at my house? "None of my friends have to do chores!" Ha! "All my friends have a cell phone!" "They get to go to the water park for their birthday!" "He's gone with you to the store six times in a row, and I never get to go!"....and on and on it goes.  

What can we do to correct this attitude with our kids? Here are a couple of ideas:

Modeling. Well, the main thing is that horrible modeling thing. You know, where we have to do it first. What do your kids see you drooling over that you can't have and then muttering over when you can't have it?

Remove the "fair factor." This advice came to me from a wise mother of six. Do you know the difference between fairness and justice? Fairness keeps all things equal all around. Justice gives to each person exactly as their needs require. Which do you think is better. If you give twenty kids ice cream cones, you've been fair. But if three of them have dairy allergies, you haven't been just. Justice gives popsicles to some and ice cream cones to others whether it appears fair or not. Make sense? It is really easy to get caught in the fairness trap with young kids - so as to not upset anyone. But it doesn't show true love. 

Speak God's Word to them. Verses like this one are great to learn together....simple, short, tangible. Maybe even drop an Alka Selzer tablet in some water and let them watch the "envy" eat up the bone."

Memorizing: A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30