“John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing
unless it has been given to him from heaven.’”
John 3:27 (NKJV)

READ: John 3:25–31

The statement of John the Baptist in our text is worthy of being noted. If you believe the Word of God, you would want to concur with him. Also, you would not be envious of whatever good there is in the life of any other person.

I discovered that envy is prevalent in the life of many, including believers. If any person is doing well, you should simply know that the person is being helped or blessed by God—he has received God’s mercy (Romans 9:15,16).

If anyone is doing the extraordinary, you should just know that the person would not have been able to do such a thing except God had
helped him or her. If heaven does not release the help or blessing, the person would not have been able to do such a thing.

Thus, if you are tempted to be envious of someone who is making progress in what he does, know that God is the One behind that person.

• You should not fight what the person is doing.
• You should not try to obstruct, hinder, or stop the person.
• Know that the person has received it from heaven.
• Also know that the person has simply received God’s mercy:

15 FOR HE SAYS TO MOSES, “I WILL HAVE MERCY
ON WHOMEVER I WILL HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL
HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOMEVER I WILL HAVE
16 SO THEN IT IS NOT OF HIM WHO WILLS, NOR OF HIM WHO RUNS, BUT OF GOD WHO SHOWS MERCY.”
Romans 9:15,16 (NKJV)

One of the reasons why John’s disciples came to tell him about how Jesus was baptising the people at the other end of the river Jordan is that they wanted him to react; either to fight and resist what Jesus was doing or to take a step to stop Him (John 3:22,26).

But instead, John probably said there is no point in fighting Him. The person baptising, doing what I also am doing, could not have done it if He were not graced or empowered by God to do it (John 3:27). We could see the maturity of John the Baptist in how he responded and how he handled the matter.

However, many ministers today fight over things like that. You would see a minister castigating, trying to run down, another minister because the person is doing what is similar to what he also is doing. It is as if they are competing.

There is a saying in my place: “The sky is big enough for two or several birds to fly at a time without collision.”

Whatever you are doing for God, whoever is doing a similar thing should not be a threat to you and should not become your enemy.
Know that the person is graced to do it. If the person were not graced or empowered by God to do what he was doing, the person would not have been able to do it. Thus, do not be envious. Do not quarrel with him. Instead, extend the right hand of fellowship:

7 BUT ON THE CONTRARY, WHEN THEY SAW THAT THE GOSPEL FOR THE UNCIRCUMCISED HAD BEEN COMMITTED TO ME, AS THE GOSPEL FOR THE CIRCUMCISED WAS TO PETER
8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),
9 AND WHEN JAMES, CEPHAS, AND JOHN, WHO SEEMED TO BE PILLARS, PERCEIVED THE GRACE THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO ME, THEY GAVE ME AND BARNABAS THE RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP, THAT WE SHOULD GO TO THE GENTILES AND THEY TO THE CIRCUMCISED.”
Galatians 2:7–9 (NKJV)

Reflect:
Are you envious of someone else’s ministry, business, or blessing?
Can you genuinely celebrate them instead?

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EdificationDailyDevotional