ECCLESIASTES 4 THE VANITY OF ENVY & DISCONTENT Posted on September 9, 2023 by ilmaarts <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="http://www.ilmaarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_2199-300x239.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="239" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1596" srcset="https://www.ilmaarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_2199-300x239.jpg 300w, https://www.ilmaarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_2199-377x300.jpg 377w, https://www.ilmaarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_2199.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><br /> September 10<br /> ________________________________________<br /> ECCLESIASTES 4<br /> 4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.5 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.<br /> 6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.<br /> 7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business. – Ecclesiastes 4:4-7<br /> ________________________________________<br /> ECCLESIASTES 4 THE VANITY OF ENVY & DISCONTENT<br /> A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA<br /> The world system generates rivalry and competitiveness<br /> It is a system that focuses on performance and accomplishments<br /> Each person strives so hard to get approval and appreciation<br /> Just to be envied by others when he gets such recognition.<br /> This corrupt system wants us to compare ourselves with others<br /> Yet each one of us is created by God differently from one another<br /> We all struggle to see ourselves as made in the image of God<br /> Because we entertain and believe lies that we are not good enough.<br /> The idol of the image we keep makes us lust for more<br /> We then fail to see the true person inside who is beautiful<br /> We compare ourselves with others and set ourselves up for failure<br /> Never being content with the Lord’s wonderful creation.<br /> We gather treasures on earth rather than those that lead to eternal life<br /> We work so hard to accumulate, be comfortable and yet we are dissatisfied<br /> All these struggles to be recognized and be looked up to leads to more grumbling<br /> It is all vanity to live the life that we thought we want when it just keeps us struggling.<br /> ________________________________________<br /> REFLECTION<br /> • Why do you think Solomon exposes the vanity of envy and discontent in our lives?<br /> • Why is rivalry not something that we should live by as Christians?<br /> • What can envy or discontent lead to?</p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> <footer class="entry-meta"> This entry was posted in <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/category/poem-devotionals/" rel="category tag">Poem devotionals</a> and tagged <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/christian-blog/" rel="tag">Christian blog</a>, <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/christian-devotional/" rel="tag">Christian devotional</a>, <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/christian-poem/" rel="tag">Christian poem</a>, <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/ecclesiastes-4-the-vanity-of-envy-discontent/" rel="tag">ECCLESIASTES 4 THE VANITY OF ENVY & DISCONTENT</a>, <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/ilma-arts-studio/" rel="tag">ILMA ARTS STUDIO</a>, <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/ilma-barayuga-doherty/" rel="tag">ILMA BARAYUGA-DOHERTY</a>, <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/ilmas-poem-devotional/" rel="tag">ILMA's Poem Devotional</a>, <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/tag/ilmaarts-com/" rel="tag">ilmaarts.com</a> by <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/author/ilmaarts/">ilmaarts</a>. Bookmark the <a href="https://www.ilmaarts.com/ecclesiastes-4-the-vanity-of-envy-discontent/" title="Permalink to ECCLESIASTES 4 THE VANITY OF ENVY & DISCONTENT" rel="bookmark">permalink</a>. </footer><!-- .entry-meta --> </article><!-- #post-9091 --> <div id="comments"> </div><!-- #comments --> </div><!-- #content --> </div><!-- #primary --> </div><!-- #main --> <footer id="colophon" role="contentinfo"> <div id="site-generator"> <a href="https://wordpress.org/" class="imprint" title="Semantic Personal Publishing Platform"> Proudly powered by WordPress </a> </div> </footer><!-- #colophon --> </div><!-- #page --> <!-- ngg_resource_manager_marker --> </body> </html>
