Overcoming Envy
Definition
noun
1.
a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.
verb
1.
desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable thing belonging to (someone else).
Envy refers to the often-painful emotion caused by an awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another person.
It is a complex, socially unacceptable emotion made up of a mix of inferiority feelings, hostility, and resentment.
Day to day examples of Envy:
As humans we are naturally interested in the lives of others. Just look at social media today!
Its part of our wiring. We are fascinated with how other people look, act, talk and live, what they wear, what they do and what they have. There isn’t anything wrong with our observations, but it becomes a problem when we resent them for who they are, what they have and what they can do.
Envy is a global problem – you will find it in every age group, economic group, ethnic group and every place you may travel.
Can you associate with some of these statements?
• Why does she get to live in that house?
• Why does he get to drive in that car?
• Why does he get to be promoted?
• Why can’t I be that attractive or good looking?
• Its so unfair that they earn so much and do so little. I work so much harder!
If you find yourself using the phrase “It’s not fair,” you’ve already fallen into the trap of envy. You say, “It’s not fair! Why them? Why not me?”
Question: "What does the Bible say about envy?"
The Bible says envy is an act of the flesh, the result of human sin:
Galatians 5:19–21 - “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (see also Romans 1:29; 1 Peter 2:1–2).
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (NIV - Proverbs 14:30). In the New Living Translation likens envy to “cancer in the bones.”
James 3:14–16: “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 - “Love does not envy.” If we are envious of our brothers and sisters in Christ, then we do not love them.
Envy and jealousy are closely related and sometimes used interchangeably in modern Bible translations, but they are not quite synonymous.
There is such a thing as godly jealousy, but the Bible never speaks of envy in a good light.
• Corinthians 11:1 -2 “I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy”
• Exodus 34:14 - Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
• Joshua 24:19 - Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
Another word in the Bible closely associated with envy is covetousness.
To covet is to have an excessive desire to possess what belongs to another. Envy or Covetousness is such a destructive attitude that God outlawed it in the Ten commandments:
Exodus 20:17 - “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Examples of Envy in the bible:
The first bout of envy in the Bible surfaces in the story of Cain and Abel. Cain, the older brother, killed Abel out of envy because God looked with favor on the younger brother’s sacrifice but did not accept Cain’s offering (Genesis 4:3–5).
Later, Esau envied his brother, Jacob, because of the blessing his father Isaac had given him (Genesis 27:41).
Rachel envied her sister because Leah gave birth to Jacob’s sons while Rachel remained childless (Genesis 30:1).
Saul envied David for his success in battle and his popularity among the people (1 Samuel 15:6–16).
The Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested because they were seized with envy (Mark 15:10).
Why do people envy?
• A dissatisfied heart: We experience envy when we cannot have what our heart desires. We have not yet learned the secret of contentment (Philippians 4:10–13), of delighting ourselves in the Lord.
• Emotional immaturity: Joseph’s older brothers envied Joseph when they realized that Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved them, (Genesis 37:3-4). They were physically mature but emotionally very immature that they could not understand it was natural of Jacob to love Joseph the most.
• Ego: The Satraps and administrators didn’t like being supervised by a Hebrew, whom they thought was lower than them. Therefore, they plotted to have Daniel killed, (Daniel 6:4)
• Insecurity: Saul feared David’s popularity will cost him his throne and the kingdom. (1 Samuel 18:7-9)
• Greed: Solomon wrote, “All toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:4)
• Frustration: Frustrations and lack of faith also cause us to envy others, (Psalm 73:3).
HOW DO WE OVERCOME ENVY
1. RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE ENVIOUS AND CHOOSE TO GET RID OF IT
Acknowledging your envy means looking at yourself honestly. The first step to dealing with sin is admitting that we have sinned.
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Pet. 2:1-2).
How do we accomplish this?
Believers in Jesus Christ have died to sin and have been made alive by the Spirit of God.
In a real sense, the struggle between the sin nature and the Spirit continues, but Christians have power through the indwelling Holy Spirit to strengthen them in the fight.
Paul taught in Galatians 5:16–26 that, if we walk by the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and stay in step with the Spirit, our lives will bear the fruit of the Spirit:
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other” (verses 25–26).
2. CONFESS IT AS SIN AND ACCEPT FORGIVENESS
God promises to forgive and cleanse us from all sin if we agree with Him that what we are doing is sin.
Once we've accepted His forgiveness, we can start on a new path.
3. STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS AND ACCEPT YOURSELF AS YOU ARE WITH GRATITUDE
• Comparing is the root of envy.
• We learn this from an early age. Remember how you compared your grades with your friends at school.
• The size food portion your siblings received.
• How you compared what you wear to others.
• When you arrive at work in the parking lot at work you compare cars with coworkers.
The Bible says comparing is foolish.
2 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV) - We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
You know why its foolish?
Because God made us uniquely.
We need to be the best me that God intended.
1 Corinthians 4:7-8 The Message (MSG) - For who do you know that really knows you, knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So, what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle.
• Develop a thankful heart.
• Thank God every day that you are just the person He created you to be.
• Thank Him that He chose you to be His own.
• Thank Him for your face and figure, your health, your abilities, your family, your job, your bank account, your friends.
• Thank Him for the spiritual gifts that make you necessary to the body of believers.
• Make sure, while you're thanking Him, that you don't compare yourself with others.
4. CELEBRATE GODS GOODNESS TO OTHERS
Romans 12:15 (NIV) - Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
• Lets us rejoice with others instead of envying them.
• It is easy to mourn with others, but it is hard to rejoice with those who are rejoicing.
• If you want to increase your level of happiness in life, rejoice when others experience success and blessings.
• If we are going to only be happy when we succeed or receive good things, we will be unhappy for a big part of life because we won’t always experience good things in life.
• If we enjoy others victories we will always have something to be happy about.
5. KEEP EARTHLY ACHIEVEMENTS IN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE AND SET YOUR HEART ON HEAVENLY THINGS
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Col. 3:1-2).
• When our lives are over, we're going to leave everything behind.
• The body we spend so much money on will return to dust.
• The wardrobe, the beautiful home, the bank account, the advanced degree, the recognition—all those things that we give our lives to are going to remain on Planet Earth long after we've departed.
• When we trusted Jesus Christ, we received a new nature. And we became citizens of a new homeland—heaven.
6. TRUST GOD WHEN LIFE SEEMS UNFAIR
• When it looks like God’s blessing somebody in a way that he’s not blessing you, relax and trust God.
• Believe that he knows what’s best for you, and trust him when life seems unfair.
• If you find yourself using the phrase “It’s not fair,” you’ve already fallen into the trap of envy.
• You say, “It’s not fair! Why them? Why not me? I’ve worked as hard as they do.”
In Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers, the workers felt that they were being treated unfairly, not because they weren’t paid what they were promised but because other people who worked less were paid the same amount.
This is best explained in Parable of the Landowner in Matthew 20.
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
The bottom line on envy is this:
• When you’re envious, you’re in a battle with God.
• You doubt God’s goodness in your life.
• You resent his decision to bless somebody else.
• You accuse him of being unfair.
• You don’t believe he has your best interest at heart.
• You accuse him of playing favorites.
On the contrary, God’s extravagant, unconditional, unending love is the same for everyone.
But he’s not a vending machine — you can’t put in a prayer and get whatever you want.
God has a good reason why you don’t have what you want.
He knows you better than you know yourself.
Practice praying, “God, I’m going to trust that you have a unique plan for my life and that you know better than me what I need right now.”
CONCLUSION – let me conclude with Psalm 37: 3-6
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun” (Psalm 37:3–6).
