Envy and Out

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. James 3:16 (NKJV)

There are many areas of life that are potential powder kegs to our Christian walk, but in my experience, envy is the match that lights them. It’s that driving ‘the grass is always greener’ force that is the number one reason our first two earthly parents fell into original sin. Satan said God was holding out on them, implying, and lying (John 8:44), that God was doing so out of jealousy. Envy moved Adam and Eve to put that match to the fuse of their rebellion. Envy was the motivating factor in Lucifer’s downfall (Isaiah 14:14).

Envy are feelings of discontent and resentment. Envy plays out in longing for other’s possessions, which usually leads to the fuse being lit by animosity, bitterness, and finally unrestrained anger, either in verbal or physical aggression. Envy results in suffering, warfare, theft of property, both nationally and humanly speaking, and desires to have what does not belong to us. Envy is the poster-child of ingratitude.

With all the physical fallout that can be seen with envy it’s easy to deny we even deal with it a little bit. But do you ever see a sharp car you wished you were driving, someone’s boat you wish was yours, another man’s woman, or another woman’s man you think would be a better fit than your current model? I have and still find myself struggling with those feelings at times, yet I refer back to 2^nd Corinthians 10:5 and tear down every elevated place or thing that is a barrier to my relationship with Christ, taking captive every thought in obedience to Him.

Remember, it’s not a sin to be tempted. The writer in the Book of Hebrews says our Lord Jesus was tempted in every way, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). The problem comes when we hold a jealousy in our hearts that can be likened to holding a little bird. It’s at first soft and innocent, pleasantly deceptive to the touch, but as we hold on to it, it grows into a bird of prey that bites and devours us in our relations with others and the Lord Jesus. The sin comes in nursing it.

When we find ourselves holding that innocent little bird of jealousy and resentment, we can open our hearts and let it fly, allowing the Lord Jesus to take it captive. Becoming a slave to Christ in obedience brings true freedom. It sounds counterproductive, but it’s true. Whom the Son makes free is free indeed (John 8:36). When that bird lights, envy and out is the right move to make. Turn it loose and let it fly.

Ken