As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.

Life can, many times, be broken down to a couple of responses. When I was playing high school football, I was recruited by a few colleges and offered to play in the esteemed North-South game in California. I had worked hard, and it was fun to be rewarded. But the options set before me did not include staying at home and/or playing football in any way, shape or form.

At the time I could have become bitter, angry, or discouraged because life didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to. I could have been jealous of those who had all of the options to play football I had worked hard for. But it was not in the cards for me at that time. And I had a choice to make. I could be curious to see how God would provide for me, build me up, and use me, or I could become jealous.

Jealousy is based on comparison to others around us and our perception of the benefits of the things they are blessed with. Curiosity is a mind frame that optimistically looks to see what new discoveries can be found in life.

I find it interesting here that the Jews and the devout, God-fearing Gentiles had a choice to make too …they could become curious or jealous! They could be curious at what this new life of being devoted to Jesus the Savior of the world would be like, or they could become jealous at this newcomer’s newfound fame.

Aren’t so many of life’s pathways boiled down to simple decisions like — will I be curious or jealous? How can I be an actively curious Christian who seeks all that God wants to do in my life, instead of focusing on comparing my situation to others and becoming jealous?

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to follow you, and forgive me for the times jealousy has motivated me to pursue the wrong things in the wrong ways. Help me to maintain my spiritual curiosity in you in all stages of life, in the peaks and in the valleys!