Envy is like Rottenness to the Bones~Proverbs 14:30~Bible Journaling

Envy. 

It's like poison.  

It will eat you up from the inside, weakening your bones until you don't have the strength to stand.   It weakens you to the core. In Proverbs 14:30 it says that  envy is like rottenness to the bones.   That's quite a vivid picture.  

Envy is a feeling of discontenment or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities or luck. 
The main focus of envy is usually things that other people own.   Isn't it easy to become entranced with things that others have or own which only breeds discontent in our lives?  

Shiny new cars.  A huge diamond wedding ring.   A luxury home in a great neighborhood.   All of these things can become the object of our envy.
I really feel the need to say that I don't think it's wrong to have any of these things but it all boils down to motive. 

Do I want a new car to keep up with the Joneses who live next door?   Do I want bigger caratage in my wedding ring so people can ooh and ahhhh over it?   Will my luxury home simply be a blessing from God that helps me cultivate a wonderful family life or will it be something that I want other's to envy me for and to impress them with?
I really believe motives matter!
The Jews were commanded by the Lord to wear Phylacteries to help them remember the written word of the Lord.   God commanded it to help them keep his laws in the forefront of their minds and as a reminder that they were set apart and holy, God's chosen people.  (see Matthew 23)
The Pharisees took that wonderful, God given tool, and corrupted it with fallen motives.   They made it carnal, fleshly.
They made their phylacteries larger so they would look more holy. They wanted the tassels/borders of their garments to be wider than those of other people to stand out and look religious.  
They wanted others to envy them.   They wanted to be seen of men. 
For the past few years, part of my journey in the Lord has been focusing on my motives and keeping them holy before Him.  It sure makes decisions and battles easier when I can judge between my pure and unjust motives.  
I'd love my spiritual bones to be as strong and healthy as they possibly can!  And that includes kicking envy to the curb and replacing it with the pure motives of the Lord!  
About this jounaling: I had some bleed through from the previous page so decided to cover the page with some cheap 50 cent white acrylic paint to hide it.  After that I stenciled on the green checkerboard and used stickers for the scripture.  I've never used stickers before so it was quite the adventure in applying them.  Lastly,  I added the skeleton at left by tracing it with graphite paper. 

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