The game Hungry Hippos is a classic. It has a simple premise. Each player controls one of 4 hippos and each is trying to devour as many marbles as possible. The one who gets the most marbles wins. Most people’s perspective on life is not unlike the Hungry Hippos game. Get as much as you can as fast as you can and before anyone else can!

As the wisest person who ever lived, Solomon had perspective. He states that envy is the driving force behind all the toil and achievement-seeking. What is envy. Envy is a faulty worldview that believes there’s a limited amount of good, resources, stuff to go around. If there are only 20 marbles, and someone else gets 1, that’s 1 less for me. True, there’s only one CEO of a corporation, only one starting quarterback for each NFL team, but when you believe there’s limited good, not only are you thinking there is not enough to go around, but you also begin to connect your identity with what you lack, rather than what you have. It affects your perspective. It makes celebrating a friend’s gain difficult.

Jesus said, “The eye is a light for the body.” He explains that if your eyes are good, then your body is full on light. Conversely if your eyes are bad, then your whole body is full of darkness. How are you seeing things? What is your perspective? When something good happens to a friend or neighbor, are you happy for their blessing or do you wonder, “Why not me?” When you ask that question, you are, in a sense, accusing God of a lack of favor on your life. Do you think God works for you? If that’s your mentality, then you see Him as a genie existing to meet your greeds, rather than your needs. God doesn’t work for you; you are to serve Him! If you believe God wants the best for your life, you can avoid envy and gain the proper perspective!

If you want satisfaction, ask God for it. Ask God to give you peace with what you have and contentment in your circumstances. Live with one hand holding God’s blessings and one hand open to serve, give, and bless those around you! (See Ec 4:6)

Scriptures – Ecclesiastes 4:4 (NIV); Matthew 6:22-23 (NCV); Proverbs 14:30 (NIV); James 4:1-2 (CEV); Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 (NIV); John 10:10 (GNT)

Verse – And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ec 4:4) “The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness.” (Mt 6:22-23) A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Pr 14:30) Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. (Ec 4:6)

Questions – When someone receives a gain, a blessing, is your first reaction excitement for them and joy or something else? Explain? Has envy ever gotten into your view and caused inner decay? How did you get rid of it? How do you keep envy away? Have you witnessed the effect of envy in someone’s life? Explain. Are you content now? What is your recipe for contentment and satisfaction?

Prayer – Gracious God, You promise to meet my needs, and Lord, You have done so, so much more! You have blessed me in many ways and provided abundantly! Thank you for all you have done. Your presence sustains my life, and I am grateful. Remind me, Lord, of where I could have been without you and give me a thankful heart each day of my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.