Daily reflection _ turn away form envy

TURN AWAY FROM ENVY
Envy is a terrible sin not only because it manifests selfishness but because it also makes a person miserable.  
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
The story of David and Goliath is another memorable and dramatic story. Coming out to greet the conquering heroes, the women of Israel sing a song of celebration, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" (1 Sm 18:7). Saul becomes envious of David because of the great praises he is receiving, and making capital of his popularity he fears that David will seize the throne. In reality, he has little or no basis for that fear. David respects Saul and his position. He recognizes that the same Divine Power that allowed him to defeat Goliath has also established Saul as the rightful king. But, Saul is blinded by fear and fails to see God's hand at work and gives in to the vice of envy.
Envy is discontent at the excellence and good fortune of another. It produces resentment and bitterness. Envy is a terrible sin not only because it manifests selfishness but because it also makes a person miserable. It's like a plague. In our own struggles and challenges to make ends meet, we can also become bitter about our own situation. After all, envy knows no boundaries. We can envy even the good fortune of our best friends and members of our families.
Although there is a pettiness in all envy, its main cause is a lack of personal security. We're not only talking about the kind of security that comes from money, but also from the conviction that God loves us. When we recognize the wealth of God's blessings so lavishly given to each of us we realize there is no need to envy anyone else. We pray about this in today's Responsorial Psalm. "In God I trust; I shall not fear. For You have rescued me from death, my feet, too, from stumbling; that I may walk before God in the light of the living" (Ps 56:5b, 14). 
God is at work in our lives, directing us in a loving way to what is best for us, personally, no matter what might seem to happen for others. I read the following quote in the book titled Psalms for Contemplation. "To live is to walk. To keep going, to move ahead, to open new paths, to scan new horizons. Standing still and only wanting what others have is not living our own individual lives. Our walking is with God Whose hand guides us. We are walking and living in the presence of the Lord, Hand in Hand, Step by Step, Breath by Breath."