Overcoming Envy
All of us have have had to cope with feelings of jealousy or envy. In fact, it is common to hear someone say, "Oh, I'm so jealous of her!" A statement like this usually indicates a harmless level of feeling.
Too often, though, envy or jealousy is a serious matter, and usually when it is, the person involved doesn't talk about it. They become consumed with intense feelings that seriously affect the way they think and feel about the person who they are jealous of.
In this article, we will see how serious this emotion is and examine the biblical steps for dealing with it.
WHAT IS ENVY?
Envy is a feeling of jealousy and resentment that arises when we become aware that another person is enjoying an advantage or blessing that we wish was ours.
Envy can be experienced in different degrees of intensity. It is usually felt more acutely toward people that are closer to us. We rarely feel intense envy when hearing of someone's good fortune that we don't know. There is great potential for envy in relation to those people we feel a competition with.
Once envy takes root in our heart, it becomes very destructive. Proverbs 27:4 says, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but WHO IS ABLE TO STAND BEFORE ENVY?"
WHAT IS IT'S SOURCE?
Galatians 5:21 identifies "envyings" as one of the works of the flesh. This emotion rises from our old sin nature.
The tendency of the old nature is to put "me first" ahead of both God and others. Romans 12:10 teaches that we should "be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."
Envy demonstrates the exact opposite of this. We want the best for ourselves and actually begin desiring the worst for the one that we envy.
Envious thoughts run contrary to the mind and will of God.
WHAT DOES ENVY DO?
I. ENVY HURTS YOU
"ENVY SLAYS THE SIMPLE" -Job 5:2, NIV
Our jealousy of others works to destroys us in several ways:
1. Envy produces self-centeredness - Though the object of our envy is someone else, it produces a total absorption with ourselves. Self-centeredness always brings unhappiness and inner turmoil. Through it, we lose objectivity and our ability to reason fairly. The scriptures teach that "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones"-Proverbs 14:30
2. Envy will progress to other stages - Sin and self-preoccupation do not remain at the same level.
Left unchecked, they begin a downward spiral. Envy easily progresses to self-pity, anger, bitterness, and even depression. The psalmist writes, "But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps hard well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish..." -Psalms 73:2,3 . In this Psalm, this man had allowed envy and self-pity to bring him to the brink of rebellion against God.
3. Envy will destroy our relationship with God - We become angry that God has blessed someone else instead of ourself. We feel that He has passed over us and our desires. We begin to complain and murmur about our station in life. This attitude poisons our relationship with God.
ENVY HURTS OTHERS
The Bible teaches "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" -James 3:16. Envy is a dangerous passion that can cause us to strike out and hurt the person we are envious of. Let's examine some of the outworkings of envy.
1. ENVY LEADS TO STRIFE
"But if ye have BITTER ENVYING AND STRIFE in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth" -James 3:14
Envy and strife go hand in hand. We usually will not admit to others or even ourselves that we are envious. Instead, we "lie... against the truth." We find other reasons that will justify our ill feelings toward the person. When this happens, the result is confusion and strife.
2. ENVY LEADS TO SLANDER
"To SPEAK EVIL of no man..." -Titus 3:2
The Bible teacher, Bill Gothard, defines slander as "speaking the truth with a decision to hurt."
Once envy gets hold of the tongue, it becomes a deadly little weapon. James 3:6 tells us that the tongue is "set on fire of hell." We will find ourselves saying just the right things about the person we envy in order to discredit their reputation. We can even make our motivation for sharing these negative statements appear spiritual. Underneath it all, we are striking out at that person. The "truths" that we share are designed to hurt them.
3. ENVY LEADS TO CRUELTY
"And his brethren envied him... and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver." -Genesis 37:11,28
Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. His brethren were jealous and developed a hatred for him. Joseph received a dream from God and recited it to his family. The implications were that they would be subservient to him. This infuriated his brethren all the more. They finally sold him into slavery to a band of Ishmeelites.
Envy may cause us to behave in a very cruel way. We may even devise plots whereby we can hurt the one we envy. Whatever the outworkings, envy will always put a "yoke of bondage" on the object of its cruelty.
4. ENVY LEADS TO REBELLION
"They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord" -Psalms 106:16
Envy can lead us to rebellion against those in positions of spiritual oversight. This Psalm is speaking about an incident which occurred in the journeys of the children of Israel to the land of Canaan. Korah led a revolt against Moses, claiming that he was assuming too much authority.
After all attempts to change the mind of Korah had failed, the Lord had to respond with a severe judgment. The earth opened and swallowed Korah and the others responsible for the revolt.
We must guard our heart against a rebellious attitude that is based upon envy.
5. ENVY LEADS TO MURDER
"For he knew that FOR ENVY THEY HAD DELIVERED HIM" -Matthew 27:18
The destructive nature of envy reached its peak when it motivated the religious leaders of Israel to seek Christ's death. Even Pilate, the Roman governor, knew that Jesus did not deserve this judgment.From the above verse, we see that he easily read the motivation behind their actions.
From what happened to Jesus, we can learn several more things about envy. First, we are likely to feel envy toward those who excel in our area of service. Secondly, envy may cause us to strike out at those who become popular and gain a following. Finally, envy will prompt us to eliminate those who threaten us.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hyprocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."-1Peter 2:1,NIV
The Christian is commanded to get rid of all envy in his life. It is a work of the flesh, and will poison both the life of the individual and the life of the church.
We are told in Galatians 5:26 not to "be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." The believer is to be perfected in the love of God, and this love "envieth not" -1Cor.13:4.ll
Victory over envy is your responsibility. You can rid yourself of this destruction passion. Browsing downwards, we will look at the five things that should be done in order to effectively deal with envy.
I. REPENT
"IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -1John 1:9
Envy is sin. We have seen its destructive pattern and effects. We cannot treat this area of sin lightly in our lives. It will grow like a cancer.
As soon as you become conscious of envy in your heart, identify it and confess it to God. Be specific. Define exactly what it is and who it involves.
Ask God to forgive you and to cleanse your mind from those thoughts associated with it.
Determine to resist any further feelings of envy, should they come back.
II. REJOICE
"REJOICE with them that do rejoice" -Romans 12:15
Victory over sin requires both a putting off of old attitudes, and a putting on of new ones. We must reject our sin and yield to truth and love.
In this case, our envy is based upon being jealous over another person's blessing. In our response, we are actually rejecting God. God chose to bless another person. We are refusing to rejoice in the will of God being done in that person's life.
We must now thank God for what He has done and wait before Him in prayer until we see our situation from God's perspective.
III. RECONCILE
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. FIRST GO AND BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER" -Matt.5:23,24 NIV
As we have seen, we usually strike out at the person we are envious of. If this has been the case, it is our responsibility to correct the harm that has been done.
We need to go to those with whom we have shared slanderous information and apologize.
If we have openly hurt or mistreated the person we were envious of, then we must go to them and ask for forgiveness.
IV. ACCEPT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
"HUMBLE YOURSELVES therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" -1Peter 5:6.
The Lord has infinite wisdom and understanding. He knows everything about you. We are told that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matt. 10:30). His mighty hand controls the destiny of the entire earth. The circumstances of your life are also under His authority.
Therefore, we should accept our circumstances and life situation without begrudging. We must give Him praise with faith in our hearts that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
V. DEVELOP YOUR GIFTS
"His lor said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Matt.25:23).
The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 reveals some very important points. The Lord gives each of us certain gifts, talents, and abilities. We are only responsible for what He gives to us. If we are to be pleasing to God, we must develop and use our own gifts.
Often, we are envious of others for advancements or privileges that they have earned. God has blessed them for their diligence and faithfulness with what He has given them. Likewise, if we cultivate and use our abilities and gifts, we will also receive the blessing.
CONCLUSION
The outworkings of envy are never good. If we will deal with envy with the harshness and honesty that it deserves, we will be delivered from it.
A victory over envy will increase our capacity to love others. We must turn envy into a genuine appreciation for the gifts and talents of others. We must also learn to respect God's right to bless whoever or wherever He choses.
All of this is part of the highest privilege of being conformed to the image of Christ.
from: Christian Equippers International
Too often, though, envy or jealousy is a serious matter, and usually when it is, the person involved doesn't talk about it. They become consumed with intense feelings that seriously affect the way they think and feel about the person who they are jealous of.
In this article, we will see how serious this emotion is and examine the biblical steps for dealing with it.
WHAT IS ENVY?
Envy is a feeling of jealousy and resentment that arises when we become aware that another person is enjoying an advantage or blessing that we wish was ours.
Envy can be experienced in different degrees of intensity. It is usually felt more acutely toward people that are closer to us. We rarely feel intense envy when hearing of someone's good fortune that we don't know. There is great potential for envy in relation to those people we feel a competition with.
Once envy takes root in our heart, it becomes very destructive. Proverbs 27:4 says, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but WHO IS ABLE TO STAND BEFORE ENVY?"
WHAT IS IT'S SOURCE?
Galatians 5:21 identifies "envyings" as one of the works of the flesh. This emotion rises from our old sin nature.
The tendency of the old nature is to put "me first" ahead of both God and others. Romans 12:10 teaches that we should "be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."
Envy demonstrates the exact opposite of this. We want the best for ourselves and actually begin desiring the worst for the one that we envy.
Envious thoughts run contrary to the mind and will of God.
WHAT DOES ENVY DO?
I. ENVY HURTS YOU
"ENVY SLAYS THE SIMPLE" -Job 5:2, NIV
Our jealousy of others works to destroys us in several ways:
1. Envy produces self-centeredness - Though the object of our envy is someone else, it produces a total absorption with ourselves. Self-centeredness always brings unhappiness and inner turmoil. Through it, we lose objectivity and our ability to reason fairly. The scriptures teach that "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones"-Proverbs 14:30
2. Envy will progress to other stages - Sin and self-preoccupation do not remain at the same level.
Left unchecked, they begin a downward spiral. Envy easily progresses to self-pity, anger, bitterness, and even depression. The psalmist writes, "But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps hard well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish..." -Psalms 73:2,3 . In this Psalm, this man had allowed envy and self-pity to bring him to the brink of rebellion against God.
3. Envy will destroy our relationship with God - We become angry that God has blessed someone else instead of ourself. We feel that He has passed over us and our desires. We begin to complain and murmur about our station in life. This attitude poisons our relationship with God.
ENVY HURTS OTHERS
The Bible teaches "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" -James 3:16. Envy is a dangerous passion that can cause us to strike out and hurt the person we are envious of. Let's examine some of the outworkings of envy.
1. ENVY LEADS TO STRIFE
"But if ye have BITTER ENVYING AND STRIFE in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth" -James 3:14
Envy and strife go hand in hand. We usually will not admit to others or even ourselves that we are envious. Instead, we "lie... against the truth." We find other reasons that will justify our ill feelings toward the person. When this happens, the result is confusion and strife.
2. ENVY LEADS TO SLANDER
"To SPEAK EVIL of no man..." -Titus 3:2
The Bible teacher, Bill Gothard, defines slander as "speaking the truth with a decision to hurt."
Once envy gets hold of the tongue, it becomes a deadly little weapon. James 3:6 tells us that the tongue is "set on fire of hell." We will find ourselves saying just the right things about the person we envy in order to discredit their reputation. We can even make our motivation for sharing these negative statements appear spiritual. Underneath it all, we are striking out at that person. The "truths" that we share are designed to hurt them.
3. ENVY LEADS TO CRUELTY
"And his brethren envied him... and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver." -Genesis 37:11,28
Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. His brethren were jealous and developed a hatred for him. Joseph received a dream from God and recited it to his family. The implications were that they would be subservient to him. This infuriated his brethren all the more. They finally sold him into slavery to a band of Ishmeelites.
Envy may cause us to behave in a very cruel way. We may even devise plots whereby we can hurt the one we envy. Whatever the outworkings, envy will always put a "yoke of bondage" on the object of its cruelty.
4. ENVY LEADS TO REBELLION
"They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord" -Psalms 106:16
Envy can lead us to rebellion against those in positions of spiritual oversight. This Psalm is speaking about an incident which occurred in the journeys of the children of Israel to the land of Canaan. Korah led a revolt against Moses, claiming that he was assuming too much authority.
After all attempts to change the mind of Korah had failed, the Lord had to respond with a severe judgment. The earth opened and swallowed Korah and the others responsible for the revolt.
We must guard our heart against a rebellious attitude that is based upon envy.
5. ENVY LEADS TO MURDER
"For he knew that FOR ENVY THEY HAD DELIVERED HIM" -Matthew 27:18
The destructive nature of envy reached its peak when it motivated the religious leaders of Israel to seek Christ's death. Even Pilate, the Roman governor, knew that Jesus did not deserve this judgment.From the above verse, we see that he easily read the motivation behind their actions.
From what happened to Jesus, we can learn several more things about envy. First, we are likely to feel envy toward those who excel in our area of service. Secondly, envy may cause us to strike out at those who become popular and gain a following. Finally, envy will prompt us to eliminate those who threaten us.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hyprocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."-1Peter 2:1,NIV
The Christian is commanded to get rid of all envy in his life. It is a work of the flesh, and will poison both the life of the individual and the life of the church.
We are told in Galatians 5:26 not to "be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." The believer is to be perfected in the love of God, and this love "envieth not" -1Cor.13:4.ll
Victory over envy is your responsibility. You can rid yourself of this destruction passion. Browsing downwards, we will look at the five things that should be done in order to effectively deal with envy.
I. REPENT
"IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -1John 1:9
Envy is sin. We have seen its destructive pattern and effects. We cannot treat this area of sin lightly in our lives. It will grow like a cancer.
As soon as you become conscious of envy in your heart, identify it and confess it to God. Be specific. Define exactly what it is and who it involves.
Ask God to forgive you and to cleanse your mind from those thoughts associated with it.
Determine to resist any further feelings of envy, should they come back.
II. REJOICE
"REJOICE with them that do rejoice" -Romans 12:15
Victory over sin requires both a putting off of old attitudes, and a putting on of new ones. We must reject our sin and yield to truth and love.
In this case, our envy is based upon being jealous over another person's blessing. In our response, we are actually rejecting God. God chose to bless another person. We are refusing to rejoice in the will of God being done in that person's life.
We must now thank God for what He has done and wait before Him in prayer until we see our situation from God's perspective.
III. RECONCILE
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. FIRST GO AND BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER" -Matt.5:23,24 NIV
As we have seen, we usually strike out at the person we are envious of. If this has been the case, it is our responsibility to correct the harm that has been done.
We need to go to those with whom we have shared slanderous information and apologize.
If we have openly hurt or mistreated the person we were envious of, then we must go to them and ask for forgiveness.
IV. ACCEPT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
"HUMBLE YOURSELVES therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" -1Peter 5:6.
The Lord has infinite wisdom and understanding. He knows everything about you. We are told that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matt. 10:30). His mighty hand controls the destiny of the entire earth. The circumstances of your life are also under His authority.
Therefore, we should accept our circumstances and life situation without begrudging. We must give Him praise with faith in our hearts that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
V. DEVELOP YOUR GIFTS
"His lor said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Matt.25:23).
The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 reveals some very important points. The Lord gives each of us certain gifts, talents, and abilities. We are only responsible for what He gives to us. If we are to be pleasing to God, we must develop and use our own gifts.
Often, we are envious of others for advancements or privileges that they have earned. God has blessed them for their diligence and faithfulness with what He has given them. Likewise, if we cultivate and use our abilities and gifts, we will also receive the blessing.
CONCLUSION
The outworkings of envy are never good. If we will deal with envy with the harshness and honesty that it deserves, we will be delivered from it.
A victory over envy will increase our capacity to love others. We must turn envy into a genuine appreciation for the gifts and talents of others. We must also learn to respect God's right to bless whoever or wherever He choses.
All of this is part of the highest privilege of being conformed to the image of Christ.
from: Christian Equippers International