A CHRISTIAN WALK MINISTRIES

Reverend Matthew & Mrs. Deborah Harper

Copy righted material

ENVY

And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor, This to is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 NIV

Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Exodus 20:17 NLT.

The first step in preparing to combat any enemy is to know who or what the enemy is. Do you know what envy is? Webster’s dictionary defines envy as; painful or resentful awareness of another’s advantages. The key words here are painful and resentful. Simply being aware of another’s advantages is not sinful. It is that demon of comparison that opens the door for envy to enter our soul. When we have the wisdom to understand and accept God’s will in our lives we will never envy another for the blessings God puts in their lives. We will be content in knowing God blesses us with the things that are right for us. A blessing for one could very well be a curse for another.

Two friends work at the same company doing the same job for many years and they are enjoying their jobs and feel well compensated for their work. One of the friends is promoted to a supervisory position and soon envy begins its ugly attack and their relationship begins to deteriorate. One friend resents the other because he/she is earning a higher salary as a supervisor. What the friend ignores or fails to realize is supervisors takes on additional responsibilities in order to earn their higher salaries. Envy driven thought seldom consider facts, it runs on emotions. Life for the friend that did not get promoted has not changed in any tangible way; he is still earning the same comfortable salary without any additional duties or responsibilities and should continue to be content. However, his sinful nature has allowed envy to bring misery into his and compromise a friendship.

I will share a true story with you. In the late 1980s a work associate was having trouble keeping up with his wife’s spending habits and they were going deeply into debt. He desperately needed the money associated with a vacant higher paying position although he knew he was not remotely qualified for the position. His wife used her influence with a company official wife and managed to get her husband the job. Within a few months the pressure to perform in the new position and his inability to do so sent his blood pressure to dangerously high levels. He suffered a major stroke and died 18 months after being promoted into the position. His wife’s envy of her friends “superior” stuff cost him his life at an early age.

Seldom if ever will two people be equal in every way. One will almost always have some advantage over the other in some area. This can and should be a good thing because these differences could be a motivating force to push us to improve in our weak areas. We should neither condemn our self for being weak in some areas nor envy another for being strong or having the advantage in some areas. We should thank God for the areas he blessed us in and be happy for others when God bless them with his favor.

Most envy is centered on the material stuff of the world. People see others with stuff that they perceive to be superior to theirs and they envy them. What they fail to realize is superior material stuff comes complete with superior liabilities. A superior $150,000 automobile (we don’t call theses cars) will have superior insurance premiums and maintenance cost, an $800,000 house will have superior property taxes, insurance premiums and upkeep/maintenance cost. Most often superior jobs will require superior sacrifices of one’s time, self and family. A cost is always attached to every worldly advantage. Some people never realize this and spend their life chasing “superior” stuff.

When you see someone enjoying a perceived advantage ask God is it his will that you should have a similar blessing and if it is ask him to guide your path to this blessing. When you ask God to guide you must be willing to accept his will and His answer. The blessing you desire may not be for you.

Controlling the envy demon:   If you feel yourself beginning to envy someone ask yourself these questions;

a.  Would the advantage I perceive this person have over me be an advantage for me?

b. Why this person was granted this advantage over me?

c.  What could I have done or what should I do to receive the same advantage?

d. Do I want this advantage, and if so am I willing to make the required effort to earn it?

All true blessings come from God; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control and in these things there is no envy.   Pray and ask God to grant you the wisdom to accept his will in your life and to show you the things that are truly valuable in life. Understand that material things can only be a blessing if they are given by God and they can never take the place of God. God blesses each of us according to his will for our life. He blesses some of us with a caring heart so they we can comfort those needing mercy and compassion. He blesses others with material things so they may bless those in need by sharing with them.

Think of the world as a chess board and its’ 6.5 billion people as chess pieces. God is the chess master and he never makes a wrong move. God places each piece in the right place to do the right thing (His will) at the right time, every time. When you can accept this concept and understand that God blesses people (including you) so they can do His work you will not envy anyone.