Charity is the peak of Christianity (2 Peter 1:5-7). The Bible says that after salvation, charity is to be desired above all other things (1 Peter 4:8) and is the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3:14). Yet far too many people, Christians included, know so little about charity. God has not left man without answers, both simple and profound. First Corinthians chapter 13 offers the most vivid description of charity: charity suffereth long and is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4). It rejoiceth not in iniquity but in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). It beareth, believeth, hopeth, and endureth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). Out of all the wonderful things associated to charity, the Bible makes it clear that charity will have no part with envy.
During the Lord’s earthly ministry, His most malicious enemies were not common men or even the Roman government. His greatest enemies were the religious leaders charged with maintaining the spiritual purity of the people of God. How could those most religious create discord with the very One who gave them the dictates for the Jewish religion they claimed to defend? The answer is simple. It was envy! According to John 11:48, the religious leadership of Israel determined that they could not allow Jesus to continue teaching, preaching, and ministering to others. These leaders realized that all men would believe on Him causing the Romans to demote them. They would not allow this to happen. How far would they go to keep their place and nation? The Bible reveals that they would even cause the crucifixion of the innocent Son of God.
Envy is a heart problem that if caught early should never outwardly manifest itself to others. However, failure to recognize the existence of envy in one’s life and repent swiftly will yield to much greater future problems. Solomon’s first admonition to his son was that he not envy the oppressor. This warning was followed by a second admonition against choosing the oppressor’s ways. If a man envies the wicked, he will eventually be convinced to travel the direction that he once only envied. Long before an individual outwardly turns from righteousness to worldliness, he does so within his unrestrained thoughts. Failure to repent of these thoughts eventually yields to the unholy actions once deemed unacceptable.
Men generally find time to thank God for things which they deem to be good or strictly positive. Yet, the Bible admonishes us to be thankful “for all things.” This means that we should thank God for blessings and trials; for health and sickness; for gain and loss; for peace and troubles. This may seem strange but becomes much more feasible when we understand the truth of Romans 8:28. God takes all things, good and bad, and makes them work together for our good. As such, we ought to be willing to give God thanks “for all things” knowing that He will, in turn, use them for our benefit. Failure to grasp this truth is a failure to trust God's goodness and wisdom. God can and will use even the negative things in your life to help you grow and develop as His child.
The first chapter of Romans concludes with a list of horrendous sins. These sins reveal people who were completely void of the relationship God intended for His creation. Most believers could never imagine the possibility of being guilty of the sins of sodomy (Romans 1:26-27), murder (Romans 1:29), and hating the Lord (Romans 1:30). Yet, egregious sins begin through a rather simple process. The list in Romans reveals that the downward spiral begins when men fail to glorify God and refuse to give Him thanks (Romans 1:21). Sadly, many of God’s people are laying the groundwork for a downward spiral into further degradation. Becoming a child of God empowers the Christian but does not eliminate his freedom to choose his path, right or wrong. Unfortunately, traveling the wrong path can lead a Christian into the depths of inexpressible depravity.
Are you thankful for the people God has placed in your life? Most Christians could spend hours expressing their thankfulness for the godly influences. Oftentimes, however, we neglect to recognize the true blessings of these people. Once again, the apostle Paul provides an excellent example for each of us to emulate. Reading his epistles reveals an honour roll of thankfulness. He expressly thanked God for the believers at Rome (Romans 1:8), Ephesus (Ephesians 1:16), Philippi (Philippians 1:3), Colosse (Colossians 1:3), and Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:2). Paul realized the blessings of his associations with these believers and publickly thanked God for them. We too should be thankful for the godly influences God allows to cross our paths and influence our lives. Yet, the Bible goes a step further by indicating that Paul gave thanks “for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1).
