Ecclesiastes 4:6 Devotional on Letting Go of Comparison

Letting Go of the Need to Keep Up
Your Nightly Prayer

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

"Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind." - Ecclesiastes 4:6

SOMETHING TO PONDER

I vividly remember the evening my dad sat me down to share the wisdom with me that “Keeping up with the Joneses” was coming. My husband and I had been married for a few years, and we were expecting our first child. He shared, in kindness, that soon people would be upgrading everything in life. Houses, cars, and even their marriages. He pointed out how quickly peers would become lost in the thinking that new and better would free them from the “unhappiness” occurring in the “normal” lives.

He couldn’t have been more spot on. His wisdom has proven true, and people seem to be constantly cashing in on what the world has to offer, thinking it will lead them to life, when ultimately it’s the very thing that begins to unravel them and their family.

Solomon is a prime example of this. He thought He could find something better outside of the will of the Father. When I read the scriptures, I think he was probably feeling confident that he could have the best of both worlds. But when we dip our toes into the things of this world, we can find ourselves getting swallowed whole by the ways of entitlement, greed, promiscuity, and all the other “shiny things” the enemy uses to blur the lines.

All of Ecclesiastes 4 gives us the wisdom we need to avoid toying with the line of sin and not falling prey to the lie that life will be better where the grass is greener. It’s just not true, and culture has proven since the beginning of time that, often, when men and women think the grass is greener or that new must mean better, their world comes to a crashing halt with areas of pain they never saw coming.

It’s as if “keeping up with the world” needs to come with a warning label on it. Reminding all of us that when we seek to take a bite of the world or dip our toes, it will cost us something. Most likely, our peace and joy, but it can also cost us our family, witness, and a whole host of other things we would hate to see fall apart, all to taste the way the world lives.

So, this poses the question: Do you try to walk with one foot in the world and one in the heavenlies? Do you find yourself not wanting to keep up because you know the cost, but you feel the weight of wishing for more?

Allow the Lord to meet you in the midst of these feelings and longings. He wants you to find your full delight in Him, and He desires to commune with you. He sees your heart and knows you’re trying to walk faithfully with him. And He also sees when you stumble. Lean into the conviction He stirs, remember it is not to punish you, but to refine and protect you.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
Thank you for the gift of your wisdom to live full of delight in the life you’ve given me. Holy Spirit, please help me keep my eyes fixed on the things of the Lord, not on the things of this world. On the days when I start to become distracted by what I don’t have or what I wish were different, remind me that you are at work. You are working in my life and my heart, and ultimately in the work of salvation! I also pray to be a voice of reason for those in my circle who feel distracted by the world. Help me to be a light and remind them of the good things you have given them. You are a faithful God, and I desire to live a life that reflects the goodness of your endless grace and blessings.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

Who can I ask to keep me accountable so I do not get caught up in the things of the world?
What are worldly things that I have placed value on?
How can I best serve God where He has me today?

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Shea Smith When Shea is not chopping tiny food up for her three tiny humans, or pitching Chipotle to her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, you can find her doing the following: Feeding her sourdough starter (aka 4th child) and baking bread. Putting her Master of Divinity to work by furiously typing about Jesus during naptimes. Posting encouragement and #momlife reels on Instagram. Conquering virtual hills on her Peloton. Renovating "the dream home" with her husband. Co-hosting her church's podcast. Homeschooling the littles. Leading a Barre class. Preaching, teaching, and storytelling. And finally, pretending she will keep her indoor plants alive...this time! You can connect with Shea on Instagram at @SheaHsmith, visit her website at www.sheahsmith.com, and keep up with her posts by signing up here.

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