The Great Equalizer: Envy, Limiters, and the Fairness of God

In partnership with

Dear Missionaryish Family,

There are certain limits woven into the fabric of being human. No matter how rich or poor, strong or weak, each person lives within the same boundaries — the same number of meals, the same number of hours of sleep, the same number of days if they reach a full life. No one can buy more breaths or more time, and you certainly can’t outsource sleep or extend a day.

In this sense, the human experience is profoundly equalized. Wealth can rearrange the scenery of your life, but it cannot rewrite its basic rhythm. Everyone wakes, eats, works, loves, suffers, and eventually returns to dust. The billionaire and the beggar both need breakfast. Both grow tired. Both crave love. Both will die.

But we live in an age where it feels otherwise. Inequality is no longer hidden — it is broadcasted, curated, and constantly looped through our screens. Social media, and now AI, turn the ancient temptation of envy into a constant background noise. The algorithms write an unending rhythm according to our preferences and desires. We see highlight reels and quietly believe others have escaped the limiters we still live under.

But the truth is: they haven’t.
They’ve only framed their limits differently.

The Illusion of Escape

Envy begins with a lie: “They have more life than I do.”

Scripture teaches us to confront that lie by remembering our mortality.

This is the first step toward contentment: remembering that our days are already determined. For thousands of years, humans have tried to break the limits of this life — through wealth, innovation, or self-optimization — but no one escapes the boundary God has set. No one has more life. They may have more possessions, more visibility, or more noise, but not more time, not more meaning, and not more God.

Eventually, wealth and fame collide with the same limits everyone faces — fatigue, loneliness, mortality, and the quiet ache for something that cannot be bought. These are not curses, but design. The restraints of God remind us that we are creatures, not gods.

This is the true narrative: our timeline has already been set by God. Though we have real freedom within His boundaries, how long we live and what happens to us ultimately rests in His hands. We didn’t even choose the beginning of our lives — we simply woke into existence.

And yet, in the midst of this, envy whispers its old lie:

You can’t escape the limits God gave you. But you can live meaningfully within them.

The Hidden Fairness of God

This is where the fairness of God comes into view—
not in how He distributes resources,
but in how He invites us to live.

God does not promise everyone the same income, but He offers everyone the same grace. He does not give everyone the same story, but He gives everyone the chance to find meaning within theirs.

In the economy of heaven, the rich and poor may begin on different floors, but they face the same test:

“What will you do with what I gave you?”

Jesus teaches this in the Parable of the Talents:

And when he returns:

Each servant received a different amount — but from the same generous hand. And the abilities themselves were given by God. Different gifts do not mean different value; they simply reveal different forms of stewardship.

But because of our brokenness, we often look at the gifts of another and fail to praise the creativity of God. Instead, we question why we were not made like someone else. We diminish our own calling and try to expand our borders to imitate another’s life.

But this is the wrong question. The question is not:

“God, why didn’t you give me more?”

but

“God, what would You have me do today with what You’ve given me?”

You would never compare a two-year-old with a fifteen-year-old athlete. The capacities are different — but both can be faithful within their limits. Likewise, the child in a wheelchair who simply rises from his bed is no less faithful than the adult who can run miles.

Faithfulness is measured not by capability, but by obedience.

For the one entrusted with much, the call is generosity and humility.
For the one entrusted with little, the call is trust and perseverance.
And in the end, both are welcomed into the same joy.

The Only Infinite Wealth

If the physical and temporal limits on our lives cannot be broken, then what can expand?

Only love.
Only relationship.
Only the soul.

Financial, physical, and professional achievements all eventually reach a ceiling. But relational and spiritual wealth have no upper bound. You can love more, forgive more, give more, know more of God.

These are the only forms of wealth that multiply endlessly.

Envy shrinks the soul. It makes us live as if there is not enough to go around.
But love expands the soul into infinity.

As Paul writes:

And again:

Growing in this wealth takes time — like a child learning to use their fingers, then words, then sentences, then stories. No believer arrives on day one understanding the depth of the Gospel. It unfolds slowly as the old self is transformed into the new through repeated exposure to Jesus in suffering and joy.

The physical world hints at this invisible reality. The visible mirrors the invisible. What we see helps us understand what we cannot see.

The True Response

If envy begins with the illusion of lack,
gratitude begins with the revelation of enough.

The great equalizers of life — time, breath, food, sleep, love — are not punishments but privileges. They are daily reminders that we are sustained by grace.

When envy whispers, You don’t have enough,
gratitude responds, Bless the Lord, O my soul… forget not all His benefits.

Within the same 24 hours everyone else has, you can choose fullness:
greater love, deeper gratitude, richer connection.

And someday, when all our meals, hours, and possessions have passed,
what will remain are the relationships — with God and with others —
that grew larger than the limits themselves.

And in that,
God is fair.

Gratitude doesn’t ignore inequality; it redeems it. It says:

“Even within my limits, God is generous.”

Gratitude quiets comparison.
It opens the heart to joy. God has given me everything in Christ. There is no lack.

The wealthy can give thanks for the call to generosity.
The poor can give thanks for the opportunity to trust.
Both can worship within their limits. So perhaps this coming Thanksgiving is not just a holiday — but a holy posture.

Thanks be to God. Let us go and love our neighbors.

Much Love In Christ,

David & Reagan

Prayer Requests:

• Seminary Schedule: With two classes going back to back Hebrew to Revelation and Genesis to Deuteronomy. I am relieved it is not Greek, however, it is pretty tough. Pray for focus and joy. Lot’s to cover.

• Fundraising Efforts: Pray for continued progress in our fundraising initiatives to sustain and grow our ministry.

• Family Health: Would you pray for health in our family? Recently Reagan has been wrestling with terrible headaches and we’re hoping to get it checked out. Will you pray for healing for her?

• Nonprofit Operations: We’re working on some new format updates—things we’ve never done before. In the spirit of transparency, we’re preparing a year-end review and casting vision for the year ahead. Stay tuned.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to share more about the heart of Missionaryish and some potential new initiatives that would help as we continue to work towards working with RUF-International at UCI.

If you’d like to support us directly, click here: www.missionaryish.org

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