Proverbs 14:30
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Envy is self-destructive and painful. An early biblical account of envy is in Cain’s reaction when God preferred his brother Abel’s offering to his, which resulted in his murder of Abel culminating in God’s judgment against him.
Envy is subtle and can seep insidiously into one’s heart. When embedded, it makes us compare ourselves with others, yearn for what we do not have and become unhappy with our lives. It stirs up resentment and jealousy towards someone who perceptibly seems to have more than what we have. It stirs unrest, dissatisfaction and torment in our heart. And this will invariably manifest itself in deeds that are destructive, hurtful and damaging to both self and others.
But is this the way to live? Absolutely not!!!
As God’s children, we should exude an outer and inner life of thankfulness, trust and contentment in God’s providence and care. After all, isn’t godliness with contentment great gain? (1 Timothy 6:6) Tragically, if left to fester, the green-eyed monster can tear into the inner fabric of our soul and destroy our peace, assurance and contentment in our Lord.
How then, can we overcome the sin of envy?
First, when envy creeps into our soul, recognise and confess it to God. Ask for His forgiveness, guidance and succour in dousing it.
Then, direct, steer and focus our heart on God’s love and kindness. Instead of comparing ourselves with others, express gratitude and thanksgiving to God.
And when someone has achieved success, rejoice with him! Give thanksgiving to God and ask God to use the success for His glory and for that person’s edification. Embrace the fact that someone else’s success will never diminish our value as a child of God.
And always be assured that God has a special and customized plan for each of us, which though different from others, will be a divine blessing in maturing us to be like Jesus.
But to be able to embrace the above perspective, we must draw closer to God, day by day, through prayer, imbibing in His Word, living in a Christian community and loving others.
If you have not done so, will you?