06/18/2026
Contentment 😊
📖A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot (Proverbs 14:30)
We’re a generation of high rollers: high cholesterol ❤️, high blood pressure 📈, high anxiety 😟, and high levels of stress 😰. While science pushes back the battle lines of disease 🧬, we continue to suffer devastating losses from self-inflicted illnesses. This proverb offers an unexpected insight 💡. A “peaceful heart” 💛 does have an amazing impact on longevity, but how does jealousy affect life?
Jealousy implies strong feelings (some translations say “passion”) 🔥 about what others have, what we think they have, or what we think we deserve 🤔. If we have very narrow expectations about life, and those expectations are disappointed, what follows is the temptation to become resentful 😠, angry 😡, and unhappy 😞. By way of contrast, this proverb implies a certain degree of acceptance 🤲 and contentment 😌.
The proverb doesn’t argue for laziness 😴 and lack of goal setting 🎯. It simply states the fact that unhealthy desires and a jealous outlook will seriously undermine our ability to enjoy life 🌿. We will allow what we don’t have to spoil what we do have 💔. We will shorten our lives even if we don’t shorten our years ⏳.
A word for you to think and ponder about 🤍; Relax! 😌
Today’s Prayer 🙏
Today, Lord, make me aware of the differences between healthy, proper desires and those that rob and spoil my contentment . In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Blessings 🌿,
Pastor Dave ✝️
