Free to be Me

(Prov 12:12 NLT) Thieves are jealous of each other's loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.

This morning we continue our series, In this verse Solomon contrasts the jealousy of thieves with the contentment of the Godly. Many of my friends decided to go down a path that I chose not to follow. They got into selling (and some taking) drugs, stealing, and all sorts of illegal behavior. While I chose not to join them in their activities, there were still my acquaintances nonetheless and I got a front-row seat to world of the wicked.

I watched as each made thousands of dollars a week. The problem was that they were never secure. They were never at peace. Even though they were making lots of money, they still sought to cheat, trick, con, or simply steal from others.

I heard countless accounts of drug-deals gone bad. Why? Because no matter how much they had, they were never satisfied and they always kept their eye on the person who had more. If they drove a Toyota Celica, they envied the one who had a Toyota Supra. The one with the Supra envied the one with the BMW.


Jealousy is birthed from a dissatisfaction with one's self. No matter how much you HAVE, if you are not satisfied with WHO you are, you will never be able to shun the green eye of jealousy. But that's where Christ comes in. When you give your life to Christ you become complete for the first time in your life. Prior to that moment, prior to being Born-Again, we all walked around with a void that we tried to fill, but the only thing that can really fill the void is the PERSON who created the void in the first place: the Holy Spirit Himself.

When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit he died spiritually, he lost the Holy Spirit, and Jesus died to bring Him back. Adam created the void; Jesus came so that it could be filled. When we accept Christ as Lord the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, we are Born-again, and for the first time the void is actually gone. We receive a supernatural peace that the world cannot take away. Once we have this peace, once we are complete in Christ, we don't need to be jealous of anyone else. We can be satisfied with ourselves and seek to grow wherever the Lord plants us. The psalmist said: "The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green" (Psalm 92:12-14). Once you are "the Godly," you no longer have to concern yourself with useless comparisons with others. Your goal becomes growing where you have been planted. Producing your own fruit and being used of God to make a difference.

So what does this mean A few things:

1. As a believer you must learn to be content within your own skin and your own purpose.

2. Once you realize that you have your own assignment, you spend your time, talent, and treasure seeking to maximize that assignment before you die.

3. Believers that understand their assignment are not threatened by the assignments/successes of others. Learn to celebrate the diversities in the Body of Christ. God did not give you what He gave me, but He did not give me what He gave you. This frees you to be you and it frees me to be me!


Father, I thank You for making me unique and precious in Your Kingdom. I am a one-of-a-kind! I have my own purpose and I will seek to fulfill my own assignment. I am not threatened by the successes of others, because they have their own assignments. I celebrate with them and I appreciate it when they celebrate with me. I am satisfied and content with who I am, therefore I have no need to be jealous. Thank You Father for freeing me to be ME today and every day! In Jesus' name. Amen!