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I was speaking with a fellow coach the other day and he was calling me from the hospital where his grandson was undergoing surgery. His grandson, Hosea, was born only a few days before with parts of his intestines outside his body. The baby was fighting for his life and the coach was praising God through it all.
Coach was a seasoned veteran of the Christian life and he knew to praise God through all circumstances.
It struck me that baby Hosea was given the name of a prophet who was called by God to bring the people of Israel back to God as they had taken to worshiping idols and false gods. God used the prophet Hosea to draw Israel closer to his commandments.
Likewise, God was using baby Hosea to draw the coach and his family closer to him as well. God uses varying circumstances to perfect us as he desires the best for everyone.
The question is whether we are willing to embrace our circumstances and work with God to turn them to our benefit or whether we covet the situations of others and shirk the responsibilities we have been given.
The Principle of Circles holds that if you take your problems, concerns and worries and throw them into a big circle with those of everyone else you will soon be begging to have your own problems back.
This is especially true when God is in control of our lives as he will not give us more than we can handle and will help us to overcome all obstacles. To covet the problems of others is to ignore the responsibility of our own.
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
When we have faith in God and his provision for our circumstances then He will provide a pathway above, around or through them. However, if we turn to our own resources and shirk solutions of divine guidance then we will fall short of overcoming our own circumstances and fall prey to focusing on the situations of others.
Embrace your situation, praise God and ask him to help you navigate the situation and then listen as he directs your path. Recognizing comparing your station with those of others is a disservice and will only lead to a longer resolution to the issues to which you have been appointed.
This is why it is so important to praise him through all aspects of life.