Envy
Are you looking at what other people have? Learn how to stop feeling jealous, love others, and find true joy in your Christian walk with God today.
Introduction
Have you ever looked at a friend and wished you had their life? Maybe they have a bigger house, a better job, or a very happy family. When we feel sad because someone else has something good, we are feeling envy. Envy is a very quiet but dangerous feeling. It starts small in our hearts, but it can quickly grow into a big problem. As Christians, we know that God wants us to be happy and to love other people. But envy steals our joy. It makes us forget all the good things God has given to us. When we look at what others have, we stop looking at Jesus. God does not want us to live with a green and jealous heart. He wants us to have true peace. Let us look at four simple things the Bible says about envy and how we can stop it from hurting our daily walk with God.
Envy Hurts Your Own Body
The first thing we must know about envy is that it hurts the person who feels it. When you are angry because someone else got a prize, it does not hurt them at all. It only hurts you. The Bible tells us that having a calm and happy heart is good for our health. But jealousy is like a sickness inside us. Proverbs 14:30 says, "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones." Imagine your bones slowly breaking down because you are so upset about your neighbor's new car. This is a very strong picture. God is warning us that envy will eat away our happiness and our strength. If you want to have a healthy and sound heart, you must ask God to take the jealousy away. Only His peace can heal the rottenness of envy.
Envy Stops True Love
The second problem with envy is that it stops us from showing true Christian love. Jesus told us to love our neighbors just as much as we love ourselves. But you cannot truly love someone if you are secretly wishing you had their blessings. When a friend shares good news, love will make you smile and cheer for them. Envy will make you frown and stay quiet. 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us exactly how love acts: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." Here, the word charity means love. True love does not envy. When we let jealousy stay in our minds, we push love out the door. To show the world the love of Jesus, we must learn to be happy when good things happen to other people.
Source: Google Image
It Brings Confusion and Bad Works
The third thing the Bible teaches is that envy brings a lot of mess and trouble into our lives. When people in a church or a family are jealous of each other, they start to fight. They say mean words behind each other's backs. This breaks the unity that God wants us to have. James 3:16 gives us a very clear warning: "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." Strife means fighting or arguing. God is not a God of confusion; He is a God of peace. When you see a lot of fighting and confusion in a group, you will usually find envy hiding at the bottom of it. To keep our homes and our churches safe from evil works, we must stop envy as soon as it starts.
Be Happy with What You Have
The best way to fight envy is to learn how to be content. To be content means to be happy and thankful for exactly what you have right now. God knows everything about you. He knows exactly what you need for today. When we complain that we do not have as much as someone else, we are telling God that He did a bad job. But God is a perfect Father. Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Covetousness is another word for wanting what others have. We can be completely happy because we have the greatest gift of all. We have God, and He promises to never leave us. Counting your own blessings is the fastest way to kill envy.
Conclusion
Envy is a very heavy chain that holds many people back from enjoying their Christian life. It rots our bones, pushes true love away, brings bad confusion, and makes us forget how good God is. But you do not have to live with that heavy chain. God is ready to help you break it today. When you start to feel jealous, stop and pray. Say thank you for the good things in your own life. Choose to smile and celebrate when your friends get something nice. Remember that your heavenly Father has a special and beautiful plan just for you. You do not need to walk on anyone else's path. Keep your eyes on Jesus, be completely content with His sweet presence, and let His perfect love wash all the envy out of your heart forever.
Frequently asked questions
What is envy according to the article?
Envy is the quiet but dangerous feeling of being sad or angry because someone else has something good.
According to Proverbs 14:30, what is envy like to our bodies?
It is like the rottenness of the bones.
How does envy change the way we react to a friend's good news?
It makes us frown and stay quiet instead of smiling and cheering for them.
Who gets hurt the most when you feel envious?
The person who feels the envy is the one who gets hurt, not the person they are jealous of.
What does 1 Corinthians 13:4 say about charity (love) and envy?
It says that "charity envieth not," meaning true love does not feel jealousy.
According to James 3:16, what happens where there is envying and strife?
There is confusion and every evil work.