(Enjoy this devotion from my soon-to-be-released book, Paws for Reflection (from DaySpring)
Delilah, the little Yorki-Poo, was Mama’s little baby. She slept in the bed with Mama, rode in the car with her to the park, and even shared nibbles of her yummy people food.
Then, along came Roscoe, the Golden-Doodle. That giant oaf came lumbering into Delilah’s life and tried to flip things upside-down! Would you believe he actually thought he could steal Mom’s affections?
Wait! He was stealing her affections! Mom patted him on the head and called him “baby boy” and scratched him behind his ears. What was up with that?
Delilah couldn’t help herself. She snarled and snapped at Roscoe whenever he came near Mom. Surely he would learn his lesson eventually. He’d keep his distance.
Turned out, the one who needed to learn the lesson was Delilah. It took some time for the jealous pup to figure out that Roscoe was here to stay. She finally curbed her envy and welcomed him as a friend.
Maybe you can relate. You’ve earned the favor of your boss. . .or your teacher. . .or a group of friends. You’ve been chosen time and time again to lead the Bible study group at church or sing the solo in the church choir. Now a “Roscoe” has come along and you’re not the favored child anymore. You’ve had to move aside to make room for the new kid in town. . .and you’re not having it.
It’s time for a heart-check, sister! There’s no room for jealousy with God’s girls. Lay it down and let someone else have her turn. In fact, celebrate her moment with genuine heartfelt joy. You’ll win a friend for life and become a little more like Jesus in the process.
No envy here, Lord! I’m going to celebrate the victories of the other women in my life. Thank You for that reminder. Amen.
