A heart of peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:30)
In the most basic sense of the word, envy is the sin of harboring jealousy over the blessings of others. There are many examples of this in the Bible. Cain was envious of Able and God’s blessing in his life. Joseph’s brothers were envious of him and God’s blessings in his life. King Saul was envious of David and God’s blessings in his life. The religious leaders were envious of Jesus and God’s blessings in His life.
Throughout the pages of Scripture, we see the destructive nature of envy; we also learn how we can end it for good in our own lives. Here are four simple steps:
Step #1 – Confess this sin.
We will never end envy until we begin confessing this sin to God. James says, “If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth” (James 3:14). Confession is good for the soul and an absolute necessity for ending envy–and every other sin.
Step # 2 – Shift your focus away from yourself and put in on your Savior.
When we focus on ourselves, we have a tendency to compare ourselves with others. When we do that, we always find areas where we believe we are falling short and envy begins to take root. But when we keep our focus on Jesus, we realize we already have everything we need. We can rest in our relationship with the One who loves us unreservedly and unconditionally, knowing we are blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
Step #3 – Maintain an attitude of gratitude.
The more grateful we are, the less envious we will be. Proverbs 17:22 assures us that “A joyful heart is good medicine.” Everything we have is a gift from God. Regardless of how hard we have worked, every good gift has come to us from the hand of God (James 1:17). The more we have, the more we are in debt to the One who has given it to us. An attitude of gratitude and the bitter spirit of envy simply cannot coexist.
Step #4 – Develop a spirit of generosity.
When we are focused on giving to others, envy is as far from us as the east is from the west. The more you give to others, the less you think about what you don’t have. When we are engaged in giving to others, gladness grows and envy flees.
Remember, resting in God’s goodness and grace is the key that unlocks the chains of bondage to envy. The four steps I have outlined here will help you in this life-long process . . . and it is a process! We will never reach perfection on this side of the grave.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 