Impatience and envy are feelings that are easy to see in others but hard to see in ourselves. These feelings are usually accompanied by emotions so strong that they have the potential to move us into behaviors, actions and words that don’t match our moral and ethical beliefs. These emotions are fears, loneliness, anger and rejection. And when these emotions invade our lives we’re willing to do most anything in order to obtain relief from them, even if it leads us to operate outside of our own belief systems.

Psalms 37: 1-2 NIV

1 Do not fret (become impatient) because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

When and if you feel that you’re not getting what you deserve, what you were promised, what you were owed, impatience and envy are not going to help. You have to resist the urge to move and act outside of what you already know to be right. Because when you’re not getting what you believe you should, the urge will be to take control, and you will begin to manipulate, make up reasons and even lies in order to get what you believe is rightfully yours.

Psalms 37: 3 NIV

3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

The proper approach to impatience and envy is to trust and to obey God. When you’re not getting what you believe you deserve, the right approach is no to take matters into your own hands, the right approach is to trust and obey, to trust and obey, no it’s not a mistake I said it twice and I’ll say it again. When you’re not getting what you believe you deserve, the right approach is to trust and obey God. If you’re not getting what you think you should financially and the only remedy is to move outside of your moral and ethical beliefs then your only choice is to trust and obey. When in a relationship you’re not getting what you believe you should don’t let your emotions move you outside of your belief system your only true choice is to trust and obey God. In any area of life when you’re not getting what you believe you deserve, promised or owed, never move outside the lines rather trust and obey God.

Every time impatience or envy creeps up in your life the question you have to answer will be, do I interpret the circumstances and react to them or do I trust and obey God? The circumstances are forever changing but God remains the same. Once you learn to trust and obey God then the only thing left is to:

Psalms 37: 3 NIV

4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Let me ask you one more question: If you were convinced that God was with you, that He is interested in every area of your life, would it be easier to trust and obey Him?

Hebrews 13:5 NLT

be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

It’s simple, when you’re not getting what you deserve, what you were promised or what you were owed, trust the Lord and do what is right.

Heavenly Father, help me not to feel envy and impatience when I feel that I’m not getting what I deserve. After all, what I think is fair does not really work because I will always try to lean things in my favor. Rather, help me to trust and obey you, who never abandons or fails me.