Friday, February 26 Pursue the things making for peace and the things that build one another up.​—Rom. 14:19.

[Ella Mentry]

Friday, February 26

Pursue the things making for peace and the things that build one another up.—Rom. 14:19.

 

Peace cannot survive if envy is allowed to thrive. We need to weed out envy from our own heart and avoid planting feelings of envy in others. What specifically can we do to help others fight envy, and how can we promote peace? Our attitude and actions can have a big influence on others. The world wants us to make a “showy display” of the things we own. (1 John 2:16) But that attitude promotes envy. We can avoid nurturing envy in others if we choose not to talk constantly about the things we own or plan to buy. Another way we can avoid promoting envy is by being modest about the privileges we have in the congregation. If we draw attention to the privileges that we have, we create fertile ground in which envy can grow. By contrast, when we show genuine personal interest in others and acknowledge the good that they do, we help them feel content and we promote unity and peace in the congregation. w20.02 18 ¶15-16

[Vinnie]

One way we can  put ourselves in the right frame of mind regarding envy is to consider the good example of  others. How about the Rechabites?  They took a vow. "Jehonadab laid a command on his family (whether before or after the experience with Jehu is not stated) to live in tents, not sowing seed, not planting vineyards, and not drinking wine, because they were alien residents in the land." Generation after generation kept that vow. They were blessed for it later on. How good is that? Are we not also alien residents in this system of things?   Who else can we look at as a good example to follow? The Angels who stood firm in heaven. In Revelation one faithful angel said, " ...All i am is a fellow slave..." The depth of that statement. What do slaves really own? Not a whole lot.  Their attitudes and actions stand in sharp contrast to that of the world.

[Sister Twister]

6 hours ago, Vinnie said:

One way we can  put ourselves in the right frame of mind regarding envy is to consider the good example of  others. How about the Rechabites?  They took a vow. "Jehonadab laid a command on his family (whether before or after the experience with Jehu is not stated) to live in tents, not sowing seed, not planting vineyards, and not drinking wine, because they were alien residents in the land." Generation after generation kept that vow. They were blessed for it later on. How good is that? Are we not also alien residents in this system of things?   Who else can we look at as a good example to follow? The Angels who stood firm in heaven. In Revelation one faithful angel said, " ...All i am is a fellow slave..." The depth of that statement. What do slaves really own? Not a whole lot.  Their attitudes and actions stand in sharp contrast to that of the world.

Such a lovely way of thinking about it , if we keep things simple we we are in no danger of causing envy with a showy display.

[Alexa]

Another way we draw undue attention to ourselves is by our privileges. Even though its an  important to be in such privilege, we will not need to make others feel bad about it or in a way they envy us.