From Contentious to Contentment - Step 2

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30

Blinkers. No, not the mechanism in my car used when changing lanes or making a turn that makes my car sound like the wooden percussion instruments children beat with a stick to make music. I'm talking about the kind used on horses to limit their range of sight. Blinkers, also known as winkers or blinders, are pieces of horse tack that prevent the horse from seeing to the rear or to the side of them. Many racehorse trainers believe that these keep the horse focused on what's in front of them, encouraging them to pay attention to the race, rather than distractions, such as crowds. They are even used on driving horses to keep them from being distracted or spooked on crowded streets.

Step 2 - Stop looking around at what others have-look instead at how God has uniquely created & blessed you!

What I would give for a pair of blinkers for my own eyes most days! I'm a racehorse in a race, yet I start out of the gate most days without my blinkers on. I eventually lose focus of the race as my eyes look beside me at the other horses in the race. Next, my eyes drift up toward the crowd. The only things I notice are those more talented than me, more important than me, and the ones God seems to be blessing more than me! These distractions only lead to one thing...discontentment. Before I know it, I no longer like anything about being a racehorse and running a race is the last thing I want to do! These feelings stop me in my tracks and I sit down in the middle of the racetrack complaining to anyone who will listen (including God!) about how much better everyone has it than me. It leaves me miserable.

But on those days when I remember to put my blinkers on my eyes, I start out of the gate confident in the race I'm running and sure there's a prize to be won at the finish line. I'm focused on the goal. I'm excited about how my unique training has equipped me to succeed. I know there are other horses running beside me, but because I can't see them, their footsteps only encourage me to run faster. I know there is a crowd watching, but their collective cheers make me feel like they are all cheering for me. After all, the only thing I can see is the race I'm running. I'm focused on the finish line and I know I can reach it. It feels so good, so right.

It's amazing how true and practical the words from Proverbs are. When you have peace you have life. When you are envious, it brings destruction. When you find yourself constantly looking at everyone around you, you're going to always find someone taller, shorter, skinner, fatter, more wealthy, more intelligent, etc. So get out your blinkers and let's get focused.