Out Our Way: Along the Covenant Trail with Goliath

Out our way, life can be pretty basic and easy. Goliath and Babe have their own pasture to play in, and plenty of feed and water. On the other side of the fence is a horse farm where the horses have many more acres to run in - nicer facilities and even an outdoor training section. Yet though these other horses have more than Goliath, I have never seen Goliath envy them. He has what he needs and if others have more, well, bully for them.

We call that horse sense, and it is a good lesson for one and all of us to learn. Envy and jealousy and covertness are a major source of sorrow, hatred and even death.

For why do nations constantly go to war if not because they covet what a neighbor has? Death, destruction and hardship always follow, and even the winner finds the cost a terrible price to pay. Some nations never get over it. On the local scale, these same factors destroy lives, families and communities just as surely as bombs and bullets.

Desire, like a fire, is not a bad thing - unless it gets out of control. Then the destruction begins.  

In our materialistic world, we are told we should be ashamed of having less than what others have, "Be the first kid on your block to get this toy and be the envy of the neighborhood!" We are a consumer society that is constantly told that we need more and better and more expensive stuff, and that we will be considered less successful and lower-status if we "fail to keep up with the Jones." And we buy into it and keep piling up stuff to show we have value and keep resenting those who have more.  

It is no treat for the folks who get to the top either, for they have to fight to stay there. In Aspen, the billionaires pushed out the millionaires over time and the same is true in Telluride and is starting to happen in Whitefish. And are they any happier in their mansions than the folks in their pop up trailers a few miles down the road who are just enjoying nature? And consider the toll it takes on families.

I recall a woman I knew who worked for a billionaire in Telluride. Although he had a lovely and loving wife, he divorced her so he could marry a super model. She was married to another wealthy man, a very popular celebrity, but she left him for the richer man. Well, in time an even richer man came along and she left her billionaire for a multi-billionaire. Where was the joy, the love, and contentment that is supposed to be part of marriage? Did any of them every have it? The housekeeper told me she did not envy the super model or her various rich husbands at all, for they were lonely, miserable people who made others lonely and sad as well.

Then the flip side - the foolishness of envying those with more and the misery that can cause. I remember with humility when I was on a national board for the church and one of my colleagues was telling me about his brand new Mercedes. He served a bigger church and certainly made a great deal more than I did ... and I was jealous. I began to be angry with him for being richer - and angry with my own congregation because my package was less than his. And I was also angry with myself for serving smaller and poorer congregations when I could have been a "tall steeple" preacher of a wealthy congregation and driven a Mercedes too!

Fortunately, that envy and jealousy only lasted a few seconds ... for I was suddenly struck at how ridiculous I had been. My banged-up Chevy was paid off, ran fine, and got me where I needed to go just as well as his Mercedes ... plus the insurance, license and upkeep were a lot cheaper. As for the smaller Church and lower salary - well, I lived out west in the mountains, surrounded by beauty instead of pollution and buildings. And I loved my congregation and the ministry we were able to do together. What had I to be jealous about? Indeed, I realized that poor guy back east should be jealous of me if he had any sense. And then I found the barriers of jealousy, envy and greed fell away and we became as brothers in the ministry.

Madison Avenue tells us we should covet ... and keep them in business. God says we should not covet - and really count our blessings so we can fully enjoy them. I see so many folks these days who have so much less than me ... . And yet they do not resent me. Indeed, I work with single moms and dads living in low-cost housing and working two jobs that yet laugh and smile and even sing because they have lighter hearts. They have learned to enjoy the life they have instead of poisoning it with envy, jealous and frustration. Seems old Doc isn't the only one with some good horse sense in these parts!

--

John Bruington, Goliath and the gang hope this day you will take the time to notice and enjoy the blessings you have been given - and in doing so become a happier, healthier, and more alive person. Check in with the gang here and in Bruin Town on the web: http://www.havrepres.org.