"Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous, but who is able to stand before envy?”
I’m sure that all of us have been guilty of envy for one reason or another. We intrinsically know that it is a sin because of the way it makes us feel when we surrender to it. We will all have to admit that envious moments are not among the highlights of our lives. Proverbs 27:4 records that envy is worse than cruelty or anger. Since we are prone to envy, we need to discover its sources to keep it from taking over our lives. Envy, like everything else, is born in our hearts; therefore we need to keep it out of our hearts.. Envy is born in a selfish heart. When we envy someone else, we are not thinking about them, but about ourselves. When we envy people we fail to rejoice with them in their successes. We selfishly wish that their success was ours. We need to guard our hearts against failing to rejoice with others. Envy is born in an unloving heart. Envy and Christian love cannot live comfortably together in our hearts. We do not envy people that we really love. For example, if one of our children, or grandchildren, does something we obviously do not envy them. However, if someone else’s child does something great we, unfortunately, might envy them. Why? We love our own children and grandchildren, but we might love our neighbor’s children and grandchildren enough not to envy them. If we will see envy as a lack of love, we will, or should, want to do something about it. Jesus said that people would know that we are Christians by the love that we have for each other. When envy enters the picture, people cannot see Christ in us. The next time envy rises up in your heart and mind ask yourself if you love the one that you envy. Envy is born in a prideful and strife-filled heart. I put envy and strife/troublemaking together because, according to the Bible, they belong together. Proverbs 13:10a: “Only by envy cometh contention….” 1Timothy 6:4-5: “He is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes by words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds….” James 3:16: “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” The Bible definitely connects envy, pride and strife. We need to see that connection in our own hearts. A prideful heart is intrinsically given to envy. It cannot help but envy. We need to ask ourselves if we have prideful hearts. Look into your heart and root out every vestige of false pride Envy is born in a bitter heart. James 3:14: “But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie against the truth." Hebrews 12:15: “Looking diligently lest a man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness spring up and trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” We need to guard our hearts against roots of bitterness. Only sincere, honest prayer can keep bitterness from taking root in our hearts. Bitterness causes all kinds of defilement, and chief among them is envy. Frankly, we are slow to recognize bitterness in our own hearts. We cannot confess what we will not admit. We might feel justified in our bitterness. We might say: “If you knew that I person like I do, you would be bitter too.” Or we might say: “If you had to endure what I had to endure, you would be bitter too.” As long as we excuse bitterness, it will do its wicked work in our lives. Check your own heart for envy, and if you discover it confess, repent and go on with your life. Bro. Joe
1 Comment
Neal Hager
7/28/2015 05:12:02 am
Great notes on envy. I love your outlines and notes. Good ministry that any preacher or teacher would greatly benefit from using.
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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