Korach means “bald.” Korach, who was from the tribe of Levi, along with the troublemakers Dathan and Abiram of the tribe of Reuben, led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The end result: Korach and those who rebelled with him were swallowed up by the earth. What happened?

Korach was a man of stature who had many things going for him. He was a Torah scholar, a righteous man, and very wealthy. Because he was a Levite, he had the honorable job of assisting the Priests and carrying the Tabernacle while traveling through the desert. He was a very great and important man. Despite all of this, it wasn’t enough for him. Korach was jealous, driven by his own ego. He wanted to be what Aaron was: the High Priest.

What fueled Korach’s desire for power? Comparison, envy, and the desire to be more important. Korach was equipped with amazing gifts, talents, and tools to accomplish his own personal mission, yet he was more focused on what someone else had (what he didn’t have), and because of it, he lost everything. Envy and jealousy are extremely dangerous; they lead to destruction and ruin. In the end, envy and jealousy harm you more than anyone else.

You should never compare someone else’s success with your own. You have your own unique task and purpose in this world; don’t let envy or jealousy minimize, diminish, or steal it from you. Comparing yourself to others steals the mission that God has given to you personally, because your focus is on what they have, rather than what you have. There is only one you, you are unique, and God has given you the exact tools that you need to be the one and only, very best you.