Parables: Week 3 - Monday

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:5

This week, we are talking about an emotion that seeks to eat away at every ounce of our enjoyment in life: envy. During the weekend message, we were reminded that when we envy what someone else has, our problem is not really with that person; it is with God. When we are envious, we are really saying to God, “Why couldn’t You give me what You gave that person?” In moments when envy threatens to take over, we question God’s goodness. It is as if His goodness is contingent on His giving us what we want. When we feel envious, we need a reminder of who God is. We need a reminder that He is, indeed, good. His goodness is not contingent on giving us what we want. He is good because He is God. Because He is good, He also does what is good.

We studied a parable in Matthew 20 during the weekend message that challenged us to let go of envy. In this parable, a landowner hired workers early one morning to work in his vineyard, agreeing to pay them a day’s wage (verses 1-2). Throughout the day, even as late as five o’clock, the landowner saw people without work and hired them to come and work in his vineyard (verses 3-7). At the end of the day, the landowner paid these workers. He paid “the last workers first,” giving them “a full day’s wage” (verses 8-9). The first workers hired, who had worked all day, assumed they would be paid more, but they also received “a full day’s wage” (verse 10). We will talk more about the response of the workers who had worked all day later in our Bible study time together, but what stands out to me today in this story is the landowner's goodness. As he saw people throughout the day who needed work, he very willingly gave them a job to do, even as the workday was nearing an end. The landowner in this story was good, but our God is infinitely better. The author of Psalm 100:5 said it this way, “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.” God is good, always loving, and always faithful. His goodness can be seen throughout the earth.

When was the last time you stopped and reflected on God’s goodness? You have a good God. Goodness is in His nature, which means He does good. Instead of envying His goodness toward others, we ought to celebrate all the ways He does good throughout the world, both in our lives and the lives of everyone around us.

Moving Toward Action

When we start to feel envious, we need to let our hearts catch up to what our minds already know: God is good. Listen to the song "So So Good," sung by Phil Wickham, available here. As you listen to this song, sing along. Reflect on the truth that God is, indeed, so, so good. As you sing about God’s goodness, your heart will be reminded of God’s incredible goodness, and you will find yourself worshipping Him for His goodness.

Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.

“God, I know that You are good. I praise You for…”

Going Deeper

Psalm 100:1-5