We all know what envy is. Its that feeling of wanting something because someone else has it. Its the jealousy that creeps inside you when things don't go your way, and someone else seems to get everything the way the want it. The bible talks about it in several places, and it is even listed as one of the seven deadly sins. Not only is it a sin, it is something that will eat you up mentally and physically if you let it get hold of you.
To me envy is the back end of a scale of conditions including at peace, and pride. We must be cautious to make sure we are balanced and in harmony and not tip to either side.
Envy ------------------------ At Peace (Content) ------------------- Pride
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We we are proud we are one step before fall. When we experience pride, and fall from it, if we are not careful to monitor ourselves and walk in God's path, we can fall into envy VERY EASILY because we see someone else having what we once had. If we are envious, and go out and obtain what we covet and then we brag about it we are now letting pride get to us.
The Bible addresses how we should act in several areas:
First in the Old Testament we are told how to recognize it and to avoid it:
Proverbs - Solomon tells us flat out we should steer clear:
Proverbs 24:1 says "Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;"
Proverbs 24:19 says "Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked;"
and also that Envy is "Deep-Rooted"
Proverbs 14:30 says "A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones."
Most importantly we are told in Exodus 20:17 " You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
THIS IS A COMMANDMENT FROM GOD!
Second we learn it is of the past, and that it is not part of the Christian life:
Galatians - Paul reiterates that you cannot see the kingdom of God with sin
Galatians 5:21 ..."envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
and in Titus, Paul says that envy should be of the past life:
Titus 3: 3-5 "For we ourselves we also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 13:4 - "Love suffers long, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;"
Third, it is the basis for some of the worst acts done by man, sometimes unthinkable:
Acts 7:9 tells us about how the patriarchs, becoming envious old Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him.
Philippians 1:15 - Paul tells us that some even preach Christ from envy and strife.
Matthew 27:18 - Even Pilate knew that they had handed over Jesus because of envy.
It is an obvious sin! When you are envious you think that it is inside and unseen, but it is not, your facial expressions, your actions, how you come to treat others because of envy, all show on the outside.
We see how even brothers can sell their own family to slavery. Even religious leaders commit the sin of envy and ultimately commit murder! This shows that we must control and put envy aside it is a gateway to larger sin!
Fourth, how we should treat envy, and be rid of it:
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:1-3 "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
I appreciate your patience if you have stayed with me until now reading. There is a lot on this subject and sometimes we don't realize there are other ways of envy, even one I learned a couple months ago when it was mentioned that I never would have thought of. Did you know that envy also includes wishing that another persons good fortune or possessions would be destroyed? Yes, wishing that the money your friend just won in the lottery gets stolen or taken away, or even that new car gets totalled in a wreck is also envy! Sneaky isn't it? Stay true to the word, lay your envy aside, do not desire to be with people who are evil, but counter envy with love. Love of Christ will keep you from envy, and just as envy is an open-faced sin, so love is open-faced and can change others and help you spread the word.
