Submitted to the Red Rock News for 11/15/24
- Rev. Dona Johnson |November 11, 2024
Envy is one of the currents within the heart that makes deep grooves in the human soul. Scripture calls out envy as a vice and we need to understand its power and destructive nature. So, what does envy look like. In Proverbs 73:3-6, we are given a description of someone who is envious. “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.” The wisdom of this passage depicts a person who was envious of those who had healthy and beautiful bodies. A person who was envious of those who had accumulated wealth, and especially envious of those who seemed to have no problems in life—life made in the shade.
So, what is envy? Envy is wanting some aspect of someone else’s life. You may want their fame, status, character, accomplishments and or wealth. Rather than be happy for them, rather than rejoice in the gifts and blessing which have been bestowed on them, you have contempt for and begrudge them. A whole host of things can make us envious. For many, money is a big one. We can easily be envious of people who live in bigger homes, drive expensive cars and have more education. Acclaim, fame and popularity can make a person envious . Envy can make you obsessed with what others have and if left unchecked, fuels resentment and hatred towards others.
Cyprian of Carthage an early church father from the 3rd Century said this about envy, ““But what a gnawing worm of the soul is it, what a plague-spot of our thoughts, what a rust of the heart, to be jealous of another, either in respect of his virtue or of his happiness; that is, to hate in him either his own deserving’s or the divine benefits…”
Gavin Ortland, author of Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness writes, “There is no joy in your life that cannot be destroyed by envy. No matter what you have, envy can say, “Yes, you might have X, but you don’t have Y.” . . . “Yeah, you might have gotten into that college, but you didn’t get into that one.” “Yeah, you might be making good money, but you don’t have enough time to enjoy it.” “Yeah, your church might be growing, but you don’t have the opportunities that so-and-so has.”
Like all vices, envy is universal. It is the enemy of love. By definition, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4). Many a career or ministry has collapsed under too much too soon. Many of us want what others have without considering the sacrifice. Always remember, behind every success there lies a cost, sometimes a great struggle that requires time and effort. Being patient, living every day to the fullest, living every day with the end in mind guides us towards God’s preferred future for us. God will provide!
So how do you avoid or stop being envious of others? First, prayerfully confess your envy and ask God to replace your feelings of jealousy with his peace and contentment. “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones (Proverbs 14:30). Secondly, avoid comparing yourself to others. Look at what God has already gifted you with. Yes, stop and look around you. Take inventory of all you have. If you are honest with yourself, you have much more than you think. God has given you the promise of a glorious future. So, rejoice and be grateful for your body and how God meticulously wove every part of it together, you are his masterpiece, be grateful for what God-given abilities and skills you have, be grateful for whatever material blessings you’ve been given and use them all for good, rather than be discouraged and discontent. May each of us learn how to rejoice in the giftedness, the fortunes and successes of others and our own. Amen.
- Rev. Dona Johnson |November 11, 2024