What does the Bible say about envy? The sin of envy proceeds from pride, vanity, and distorted self-

Envy is one of the most potent causes of unhappiness. It is certainly the most joyless of the Seven Deadly Sins. It was envy of God that caused the fall of the angels. The devils came into existence through envy! It was envy that brought on the fall of our first parents. The devil envied their happiness, tempted Eve, who tempted Adam, who brought sin into the human race. It was envy that caused Saul to want to murder David, because David was so popular and successful. It was envy that caused the Scribes and Pharisees to persecute Christ, have Him condemned, and finally had Him crucified on Calvary.

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If you are jealous of another person you want what they have. You want their material possessions, their good looks or their advantages. You want their happiness, their prosperity or their success.

Envy and jealousy are closely related, however a connotation difference exists:

• Envy denotes a longing to possess something awarded to or achieved by another.

• Jealousy, on the other hand, denotes a feeling of resentment that another has gained something that one more rightfully deserves. Jealousy also refers to anguish caused by fear of losing someone or something to a rival.

Envy, however, both takes jealousy to a deeper level and originates from a deeper level. When we become envious we not only want what the other person has, but we hate them for having it. Envy is a an insidious cancer that lurks within the soul. The envious person becomes obsessed with the happiness, success or prosperity of the other person and becomes so sick that the envious person eventually longs for the other person’s happiness to be destroyed.

When we use the word “jealous,” we use it in a sense of being envious of someone who has something we do not have. This kind of jealousy is a sin and is not characteristic of a Christian; rather, it shows that we are still being controlled by our own desires (1 Corinthians 3:3). Galatians 5:26 says, “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

The Bible tells us that we are to have the perfect kind of love that God has for us. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The more we focus on ourselves and our own desires, the less we are able to focus on God. When we harden our hearts to the truth, we cannot turn to Jesus and allow Him to heal us (Matthew 13:15). But when we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, He will produce in us the fruit of our salvation, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Being jealous indicates that we are not satisfied with what God has given us. The Bible tells us to be content with what we have, for God will never fail or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). In order to combat jealousy, we need to become more like Jesus and less like ourselves. We can get to know Him through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with mature believers. As we learn how to serve others instead of ourselves, our hearts will begin to change. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Envy is rooted in a deep, foundation of fear and longing for love. When we think it through we can see that the reason we are envious of the other person is because we perceive that they enjoy a happiness that we do not have. It is not only that they seem to be happy and we are unhappy, but their happiness is a sign that they are loved and accepted and we are not. This lack of love lurks deep within as an inchoate fear, and it is in this deep sense of alienation and unhappiness that envy broods like a dark and savage beast. As a result we harbor our insecurities, nurse grudges, brood over wrongs, lick our wounds, gossip about others and plan revenge.

Because envy leads us to desire the harm of another person, this sin is countered with kindness. Kindness desires the happiness of another person, not their harm. Like all of the lively virtues, kindness is proactive, positive and live giving. Kindness is also full of light and simplicity. As envy broods over social slights and small matters, so kindness is composed not of heroic acts of virtue, but small, daily, regular acts of goodness towards another. The kind person is ready with a smile, a joke, a word of encouragement and a genuine appreciation of life’s blessings and the good things we all share together. Kindness rejoices in the good of another rather than being sorrowful or angry at the good of another.

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in the past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not in strife and envy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:13-14).

In half a dozen lists in the New Testament, God includes envy among serious sins like murder, adultery, strife, malice, drunkenness, etc. (Mark 7:21-23); Romans 1:29-31, 13:13-14; 1 Corinthians 3:3-8; Galatians 5:19-21; James 3:13-18; 1 Peter 2:1).

That makes it seem that envy is a serious sin. So what do we get from practicing it that makes us feel that it's worth doing? We have the power to destroy other people with our envy because it leads us to deeds and words that can maim and kill others.

Some researchers have found that envy can cause us to suffer upset stomachs, dizzy spells, headaches and ulcers. There is a physical price to pay for envy. Mental health authorities tell us that envy affects our mental health. It doesn't bring us what we lack; it merely makes us miserable. John Chrysostom, the great preacher of Antioch, wrote: "As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man." An envious person is distorted and consumed by his or her envy.

God forbids envy because He wants to preserve our joy. God isn't "after" us to keep us from having fun. He knows that envy is a dead-end street. He calls us to "lay envy aside" (1 Peter 2:1) because it stunts our growth and keeps us from living fully and freely in His love and grace.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

What is your response?

• Yes, today I am deciding to follow Jesus!

Here is a suggested prayer. This is not a ritual based on specific words, but rather a prayerful guideline for your sincere step of faith:

"Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me turn away from sin. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

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