In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon has been talking about the benefits of community. How two are stronger than one. How we can help each other.
Sadly, we all know that there are some difficulties to community as well. Solomon gives one of those in v. 4. He writes, “Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.”
So Solomon is pointing out the obvious fact that when we live with and among other people, it is easy to get caught in the trap of envying what they have. We want that fancy new car or house. Or we are jealous of their perfectly behaved children.
But to jealously look at one’s neighbor is like “striving after the wind.” It’s pointless! It’s meaningless! And it will lead to destruction in our life.
I read about a man named Clayton Lush. He was an Australian contractor and TV show host. Yet these jobs led him to work long hours.
One day, he starts working on a wealthy guy’s house and he notices how the guy never seems to actually work. This makes Clayton very jealous, because he is working his butt off! This jealousy leads him to look into what the other guy is doing to make a lot of money, yet not work. So what job is full of money yet has very little work? Drug dealing! Clayton joined a drug dealing operation.
It worked for a while, until the police later arrested him (and many others) involved in the scheme. His jealousy led him to lose everything.
In Solomon’s words, this is like, “striving after the wind.” It leads to NOTHING. It’s meaningless!
It is so easy for us to get caught up in this kind of stuff, though hopefully not to the extreme of dealing drugs. We walk into church and see that Joe Christian has a new car. Or that Sally Spiritual got a new house. Or that Betsy Birther had another child. And we think… why can’t I have that?!
Listen, it is important to be part of a church community. So the answer is not to go live life as a monk. But as we embrace community, we need to be aware of the challenges that it presents. And one of the challenges is jealousy.
But now that you know the struggle is out there, you will be ready for it when it comes!