"I'll have what she's having" (The much anticipated final 'The Envy of Eve' post)
The more I read The Envy of Eve, the clearer it becomes that any search for satisfaction in
worldly things will find no end, when the true and only source of satisfaction
is God. This is epitomised in the last two chapters as we consider how readily
we covet what we once had (forgetting the agonies that season also brought),
what we long to one day have, and that which we should rejoice in God having
given to others.
Chapter Eight, “Coveting
Seasons and Circumstances,” takes us to Exodus. The Israelites
looked back and coveted circumstances in their past, only having forgotten just
how bad their enslavement in Egypt really was. They forgot how good God was in
redeeming them from slavery. Looking forward they were fearful, though they had
God and His good, sovereign plan to trust.
Kruger makes a point of
saying, “Whenever we are in a particular season, it is always easy to see the
benefits of another woman’s season of life, while failing to consider or
remember the struggles.” We see the seasons of life that others are in and
compare it to our own, then allowing our longings for good things in the future
or that we had in the past to become covetous. We can begin to believe God is
withholding from us by not giving us the things we desire from other seasons of
life.
What does this look like in
our lives, in our hearts? It’s the single woman looking longingly at the life
of a mother. It’s the mother who covets what young single women have, without
the pressure of marriage and motherhood. It’s the student who craves the
financial freedom of working life, and it’s the working woman who yearns for
the relaxed lifestyle of her youth. In considering how we see different seasons
and desire their attributes, it is helpfully pointed out, “It is not coveting
to be aware of the difficulties or struggles of our particular season; it is
coveting to be full of bitterness and discontentment because of the
difficulties.” In reading this chapter I was challenged to remember that every
season has its struggles in amongst its blessings, and to look to God for
satisfaction, not my external circumstances.
So what are the struggles in
your season of life? What blessings have you overlooked?
Upon reaching the final
chapter of The Envy of Eve, we see that God gives His people
certain gifts and abilities for serving Him. But when we should rejoice and be
thankful for His work through other people, we just covet their gifts.
The example of this type of
coveting is that of Korah and his envy of Aaron’s priesthood and the
significant role he and his sons were given ahead of all other priesthoods.
Though Korah was part of a significant priesthood with a particular and
necessary role, he envied the special role of Aaron’s priesthood. He saw Aaron
and his sons being gifted with a certain role that Korah thought brought them
glory, and he wanted in. Korah was concerned with his own glory, not God’s.
When we covet the spiritual
gifts that others have been given, it stems from a wrong understanding of the
purpose of spiritual gifts. Similar to Chapter Five’s reminder to think of
ourselves as stewards of our possessions, entrusted with them by God for His
purposes, we are also just stewards
of our spiritual gifts. God hasn’t given them to us so that we can have glory,
recognition and reward, but for the good and growth of His kingdom.
Thankfully we’re not left
without an example of humble service. The reference made to Philippians 2:5-8
came as a welcome reminder of Jesus’ attitude, who shows the ultimate example
of fighting ambition and pride. I wonder if you have ever found yourself
coveting the gifts of another because of the glory you see it bringing you? Or
if you neglect opportunities to use your gifts because it isn’t convenient, or it
isn’t going to glorify you?
Reaching the end of The Envy of Eve, I was reminded of what lies at the essence of overcoming
coveting in our lives. I’ll leave you with this final excerpt:
“In order to have present
contentment, we must keep looking back to the cross and forward to heaven. The
cross reminds us that Jesus loves us enough to shed His own blood... Heaven
reminds us that one day all our current longings and struggles will be
satisfied.”
Praise be to the One who gives
us such a rich source of contentment and satisfaction, and may we always
remember these eternal truths in the midst of our temporary longings.
- Lauren Mahaffey