Do you ever struggle with envy? When was the last time you saw someone else have blessings in life which then produced resentment in your soul?
In his book, Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges explains, “Envy is the painful and oftentimes resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by someone else.” It is important and healthy to identify any signs of envy in your soul. Let me ask again…do you ever struggle with envy?
I find envy to be annoying.
Envy robs me of opportunities to grow in gratitude. Envy impacts relationships and distracts my days with unneeded weight to carry.
Envy will damage your ability to love others. Jesus once said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23). Sin within our hearts will always impact the way we treat others. With envy, you run the risk of looking at others’ lives and develop unnecessary hatred and other evil thoughts toward their blessings. What can you possibly be envious of in today’s world? Here is a list to consider:
Looks
Wealth
Job
Family (their husband, their wife, their kids, their parents, etc…)
Retirement
House
Car
Popularity
Intellect
Social skills
Envy can be healed by intentional love and thankfulness.
I love what is found in 1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Shifting toward a heart of love for others can pull you out of the trap of envy. How can you take this intentional approach of envy healing?
- Be honest with the Lord with your envy.
- Make it a daily habit of praying for those you envy.
- Guard against what creates envy in your soul.
Today is a good day to fight envy. Begin with growing in your soul a deep heart of thanksgiving. See what God has done for you while ignoring the temptation to look with envy into the lives of others. Today is a good day to thank God for who He is and what He has done for you.
Envy is annoying.
Dave Snyder, Pastor, First Baptist Church of Pensacola
Local Pulse Editor’s Note:
Dave Snyder is a part of our Community Voices series. This dynamic group of Pensacola dwellers is dedicated to driving positive change in our city. They inspire progress and foster a stronger, more connected community through shared experiences, expert insights, and thoughtful perspectives on impactful topics.
