Disclaimer: Based on the footnote of this verse from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, “the godless one” refers to “the apostate”. But for this blog, I am referring to it as “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God” as stated at 2 Timothy 3:4.
This verse profoundly impacted me during this week’s Bible reading. It’s not because I’m a godless person, but rather, I may have felt envy for godless ones.
Seeing my ex-classmates’ posts these past few weeks got me thinking, ‘Oh, if I had just gone to college…’ and ‘If I had just been friends with them…’ I felt like I was in the shoes of Asaph—a Levite who wrote Psalm 73 and felt discouraged because of the evident prosperity of the arrogant ones.
Once again, Jehovah God lovingly reminded me that the true path to a lifetime of happiness lies in doing His will—a lesson I have personally proven. I came to realize the truth behind the words of Psalm 73:17, “Until I entered the grand sanctuary of God, And I discerned their future.” While my classmates and other teens may currently find “joy” in their lives, sooner or later, they’ll come to realize that lifelong happiness cannot be found in this world’s system. Indeed, the “rejoicing of the godless one is for a moment.”
Of course, I wouldn’t want to experience this kind of envy again. To ensure that, I need to make some adjustments and new goals. Here they go:
- Unfollow or Unfriend on Social Media: Disconnect from past classmates and friends who are not Jehovah’s servants. This also applies to influencers who trigger insecurities about myself and my current life.
- Read and Meditate on Psalm 73: Reflect on the experience of Asaph who almost stumbled, as described in Psalm 73.
- Constantly Consider “What Would Jesus Do?”: Incorporate the question, “What would Jesus do?” into every decision-making process.
- Regularly Study the Bible: And I mean EVERYDAY! My new personal study schedule will now be every night before going to bed.
Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
1 John 2:17
