You know what makes me unhappy? evaluating myself against other people. Specifically, evaluating myself against other people’s accomplishments, assets, and qualities. It’s always the beginning of a slippery slope when I do it. Comparing myself to others is difficult, if not impossible, and I always end up feeling envy or proud, neither of which brings me any closer to God.
It is not often that we discuss envy. Furthermore, if it is brought up, we usually minimize it as if it were not a significant issue. Envy is actually a fatal cancer of the soul. Though it goes beyond simple desire, it refers to wanting something that someone else possesses. Coveting and brooding, envy frequently results in animosity toward the individual who has what we desire.
Envy is a nasty person.
Envy never has a positive connotation in the Bible, but jealousy does. According to Proverbs 14:30, “envy makes the bones rot.” We must battle jealousy with all our might. Nevertheless, I doubt that a society has ever been more jealous than the one we live in now, thanks to social media. Envy is a silent but nasty attack that is exceedingly hard to avoid since we always carry around everyone else’s lives in our wallets.
Envy prevents us from seeing God’s goodness.
God is good, and He treats us well. That one cannot be disputed. When Jesus voluntarily died on a cross to atone for our sins and provide us what we don’t deserve—eternity in heaven with Him—God showed us His amazing goodness.
However, when we fall into the clutches of envy, God’s love to us is obscured since jealousy is actually a declaration that God is waiting on us. If God is the source of everything, then it must be God withholding something from us if we don’t have it. Envy skews our perception of our heavenly father by distorting God’s flawless nature.
In reality, God owes us nothing, but jealousy acts as though he owes us more than we have gotten. Since the beginning of time, God has lavished us with His bounties; nevertheless, when we allow envy to consume our thoughts, we fail to recognize God’s goodwill toward us in the past, present, and future.
An excellent illustration of the terrible force of envy is King Saul. Saul became very jealous of David after he heard the women sing, “Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). David got it all: glory, praise, victory, prosperity, and the Lord’s blessing. Saul was so envious that the following day he attempted to kill David with his spear.
Saul had been blessed by God. Saul was anointed by God, who gave him the Spirit. God bestowed the throne upon Saul. However, Saul’s jealousy prevented him from seeing God’s kindness toward him in the past, present, or future. Saul could see nothing but his own warped vision.
Envy prevents us from seeing reality.
Reality is distorted by envy. Envy led Saul to assume that David planned to kill him, even though Saul was the one who was trying to kill David (1 Samuel 22:13). Whatever we desire is fueled by envy, which fuels our evil nature. According to James 4:2, “You murder because you want something but lack it.” You fight and argue because you want something but can’t get it.
The basic line is that while envy won’t block the Word of God, it will stop it from entering our hearts. Because envy is inherently arrogant, it serves as a wall between God and ourselves. I need the Lord, and I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want is to stand in the way of my relationship with the most magnificent, lovely, and holy God.
Envy Kills Our Hunger for God
When we feel jealous, we focus on what we believe we need rather than God. When we tend to the flames of jealousy, God is put on the back burner. When we are jealous, we are unable to love the Lord, our God, with all of our hearts. Envy instead produces idols that we elevate above God.
Our suppression of envy accompanies our desire for God.
On this side of paradise, there are undoubtedly things we will want but never be able to have. However, when we try to achieve our goals through envy, we will never succeed since long-term satisfaction is not found in a material possession, a transient quality, or a momentary achievement.
The one who satisfies is God. He is the gem that makes our spirits richer. Joy is abundant in His presence (Psalm 16:11).
However, envy consumes us with lust, greed, pride, and, frequently, rage, eating away at our love for God like a raging beast. Envious people are never content. When others are happy, envy makes us unhappy, and when others are unhappy, it makes us happy. Furthermore, that is not God’s way. We are to celebrate with those who joy and grieve with those who weep, according to Romans 12:15.
God established the tenth commandment, “you shall not covet,” for a cause (Ex. 20:17). His orders are meant to keep us safe. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6 that “godliness with contentment is great gain,” while discontent leads to hazardous situations.
Although it is common in today’s society, envy is unacceptable behavior in the eyes of the Lord, and not just because He dislikes it. We will be destroyed by envy, which will undermine our faith.
Envy will only deprive us of what we need, not what we desire. A God-filled heart is what we need, but jealousy gives us a sin-filled heart instead. Therefore, don’t tolerate envy—don’t even consider it. The cost of Envy is high and not worth the money.
Rather, rely on the Lord to provide for your best interests. Your heart will have everything it needs if you lean into Him for happiness and fulfillment.
Humans struggle with the conflict between satisfaction and envy. Comparing ourselves to others becomes our obsession, ruining our ability to appreciate and relish the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.
Our relationship with God is ruined by gluttony, rage, greed, envy, pride, desire, indifference, and melancholy. They play a crucial role in assisting us in comprehending the inner workings of our minds and how they impact our actions. How can we cultivate the spiritual strength to withstand temptation and our egotism in order to steer clear of habits that destroy the life that God has planned for us?
Love is not jealous, boastful, haughty, or impolite. It is neither irritated nor resentful, nor does it insist on getting its way. It rejoices in the truth rather than in transgression (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
Our capacity to relate with people in a way that benefits both parties and to live in harmony within a society is compromised by envy. Petty jealousy, gossip, and an unwillingness to appreciate the blessings that God has bestowed upon others are frequently the results of it.
We can better grasp how the eight fatal thoughts reroute our brains thanks to recent research in psychology and neuroscience. For instance, studies distinguish between two types of envy: schadenfreude and inferiority. Either we take pleasure in the suffering our archrival endures, or we feel inferior to others, which breeds envy. Overcoming envy, promoting community, and controlling our innate propensity to value oneself more than others are all made possible by contentment.
Envy is demonstrated in Genesis 4 through the tale of Cain and Abel. For some reason, God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice but not with Cain’s. Cain kills Abel because he is unable to contain his revulsion. Envy has the ability to ruin other people’s gifts since we don’t feel like we’re welcomed ourselves.
How can we overcome envy and develop contentment? We must start with our own mindset and acknowledge that we have power over our attitude and level of effort. We can redirect our hearts’ natural predisposition with the aid of spiritual disciplines.
It’s crucial that we commit to a life of prayer. We can start praying for those we hold in the deepest resentment. Prayer will transform us and the influence these people have over us.
Andrew Newberg describes the effects of prayer and spiritual practices in his book “How God Changes Your Brain.” If you believe in God and start living your life as though God existed, you will lead a happier and more contented life. Although this book isn’t specifically Christian, it presents a strong argument for living a Christian life, which increases our empathy and social consciousness.
By extending oneself to others, kindness enables us to recognize God’s mercy and grace. By strengthening the brain’s anterior cingulate, which connects the limbic system and the frontal lobe, such actions help us balance reason and emotion and enable us to react logically to disruptive behaviors.
Adults’ incapacity to control ourselves is the biggest issue we face. We find ourselves in self-destructive situations. Therefore, learning self-control is another approach to cultivate contentment.
I think that certain people are more likely to be happy than others. However, we can come to comprehend our life with God sufficiently to control disruptive moods, behaviors, and tendencies, refocusing them to greatly enhance our lives, regardless of where we are on this spectrum.
Serving others is another crucial activity that fosters the growth of empathy. Empathy, in my opinion, is one of our culture’s most pressing requirements.
We need to create communities that are full of love, communication, and intellectual and sensory stimulation if we want to foster contentment. That’s what Westmont aims to accomplish. To counteract our propensity for jealousy, strive for contentment. Neuroscience explains that we will be healthier if we can learn to refocus negative feelings. Fortunately, God gives us the means and direction we require to achieve this objective.