STOP looking into other people’s plate. Have you ever been caught looking into another’s plate and been told to eat off whatever is on yours?
This is surely the prerogative of every parent who will be wise to drill into their offspring about contentment and the antidote for the poison called envy.
The beautiful vineyard story of Matthew 20:1-16 of workers who are hired at different times to labour in the vineyard but being paid the same wages is a powerful reminder not to be bothered with what others have/get.
This scriptural wisdom works for both spiritual and material realm, a priest shared recently. It is a good time to reflect so as to uncover our thoughts and conduct thus far.
The preacher asks, do we find we have a problem with the deal that God makes with others while forgetting the deal God has made with us? God always makes good His promise, which is the promise of eternal life He wants for all whom He calls to discipleship.
What is our attitude towards those who come after us, especially if we have done work from the beginning and they have done “only an hour”? Does it disturb us when they receive the same as us?
Beware that we can turn arrogant when we do not have the right to question another’s spiritual journey. Our spiritual journey can be ages old but there will be someone who is very new.
We need to consider that God has kept his “deal” with us when He calls us to discipleship and gives us our reward of eternal life on completing our part with faithfulness. So too, He will do likewise with those who come after us.
In the material realm, God says that He will always provide for us. God however has promised to provide for our needs, and not our wants. We can trust God’s deal with us and that He will be faithful to it.
Therefore, we must trust that God knows our needs and that He will provide sufficient to meet our needs. Others, however, may require more than our needs, and God likewise provides.
Thus, we need to stop looking into another’s plate. Stop looking into another’s life. Stop looking into another’s home. Stop comparing what others get. Let us eat off our own plate because God will give us enough to meet our needs.
