Love Does Not Envy

This Week's Story

When my cousins and I held a beauty contest in our grandparents' living room, the talent portion did me in. Mary Jo sang Amazing Grace, and Grandma beamed. "Oh, Mary, you have such a beautiful voice." Cheri delivered Paper Roses like a little angel. "Oh, Cheri, you have such a beautiful voice." Then I stepped onto the kitchen rug turned performance stage and belted every verse of King of the Road with the greatest vibrato of my young life.

Grandma said, "Oh, Kim, maybe you can dance."

Cheri and Mary went on to sing on stages all over the state. I went on to perform for the water spigot in the shower. And I was envious. Envy travels with us, too — the prettiest girl, the smartest kid, the friend whose life looks perfect online. A University of Michigan study found the more time people spend on social media, the worse they feel about their own lives. There's only one explanation for that, and it isn't the algorithm.

Then years ago I heard Maury Povich say something I never forgot: "Povichs root for Povichs." His family celebrated each other's wins. No comparing, no keeping score, just honest joy for somebody else's good news. That was foreign to my highly competitive "I betcha" family, and it changed everything for me. Love that does not envy is freedom. It stops keeping up with the Joneses and starts loving the Joneses. There is no limit on good. Someone else's blessing doesn't shrink yours.

This Week, Day by Day

My Prayer This Week