Measure yourself
Psalm 37 begins with a personal and practical warning: Do not fret. How do we calm a fretful spirit and bring peace to a troubled heart? "Do not worry because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity" (v. 1).
Why do we envy the wicked? They seem to be prospering; they seem to be so happy. But what do they have that we need? In God we have everything we need. Whenever we find ourselves fretting, it's probably because we are measuring ourselves against others. That's
the wrong thing to do. Instead, measure yourself against yourself. You're not competing with others; you're competing with yourself. Also measure yourself against the Lord Jesus Christ, because He is the One you are to be like: "The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).
We should do this. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (v. 4). When we delight in the Lord, we learn to appreciate the delights of the Lord. Our desires become His desires, and we pray and live in His will.
Competing with others and comparing yourself to them can lead to fretting. Measure yourself only against yourself and against Jesus Christ. Consider your needs. Are there any the Lord cannot provide? Place your trust in His provision. He is faithful.
Psalm 37:1-4
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
(Stops & Steps 1012 18VII2009)