Whose Blessings Are You Counting?

They threw him into a pit and sat down to enjoy their lunch. 

Perhaps Joseph's cries for mercy bothered them, so they sold him as a slave instead of killing him. For the next twenty years, they watched their father suffer over Joseph's “death” but never repented or tried to rescue Joseph (Genesis 37).

What drove these brothers? Envy and jealousy. These brothers weren't counting their blessings. They were counting Joseph's blessings and feeling like they came up short.

We see envy and jealousy causing problems throughout history. “Out of envy” they crucified Christ (Matthew 27:18). “Filled with jealousy” they rejected the teaching of the apostles (Acts 13:45). 

It's easy to recognize these evil motives in history or in crimes of passion on the news.

But they also have more subtle side effects:

• Extramarital flirtations
• Slandering friends or family members who have talents or possessions we lack
• Consumer debt—buying things we can't afford because we want things that other people have
• Self-pity and self-centeredness

One way to avoid envy and jealousy is to deliberately take time each day to offer prayers of thanksgiving for the things we have (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

So let's make sure we are counting our blessings and focusing on God's presence in our lives.

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See 9 Ways to Learn Gratitude and Don't Underestimate the Power of Gratitude.

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