What, me envy? Envy is rarely discussed in conversations, yet there are so many opportunities for us to envy.
When I was a pre-teen two girls were invited to my birthday party. They gave me a hula-hoop as a present and kindly gave my older brother a gift too. He received what I always wanted: a wallet. My first year playing football I was second string. I only played for two minutes in the last game of the season while cocky guys played in every game. As an adult, I planted a church in a growing community. It seemed all the other churches were growing while my church kept turning over people and didn’t statistically grow. These were moments envy reared its ugly head.
Shakespeare wrote in Othello of a green-eyed monster. He said it “doth mock the meat it feeds on” (3:3). Shakespeare was, of course, referring to the green-eyed monster of jealousy. He further associated the color green with jealousy in Antony and Cleopatra where he called it being “Troubled with the green sickness” (3:2). In both references, he described what the Bible says is a curse on human beings. It’s the curse of envy.
Envy versus Jealousy
Envy and jealousy are often used synonymously but they are not exact synonyms. Jealousy is a feeling of resentment against someone who enjoys success, advantage, or is your rival. Envy often goes one step further and not only feels resentful toward another but covets what they have. Envy believes the possessions or advantage of another rightly belongs to them. They are “green with envy.”
Popular psychological thought believes you can replace envy simply by being thankful. In religious settings the answer is often to first recognize envy, choose to get rid of it, confess it as sin, and then to practice the joy of giving to others. Both popular and religious thinking like this has some value. It’s true we must exert energy to overcome envy. But they both suffer from the same error. They suggest overcoming envy depends entirely on our efforts.
However, if envy is a sin, then where is salvation from it (Mk 7:22, Rom 1:29)? How does the Gospel offer good news to a person engulfed in envy? In other words, to truly overcoming envious thoughts, desires, and actions a divine and gracious intervention is required. In Christ, a Christian must rely on God’s intervention and strength to mortify (kill) any sin that causes them to stumble.
A Biblical Remedy
Psalm 73 provides a biblical antidote for envy. “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” This Psalm begins with a conclusion. God is always good. Envy places God’s goodness into question. It challenges the goodness of God. The solution for overcoming envy isn’t recognizing it exists—it exists in every heart (Titus 3:3). Envy is overcome by having a godly perspective on ourselves and others. The corrective to envy is maintaining a belief that God is good.
Envy is a condition of the heart. The basis for understanding the condition of our hearts is to see God for who he is. Foundational to having a healthy perspective on life is to know that God is always good to his people.
Yet, even Christians who believe God is good are tempted to envy. The temptation to envy plagues everyone (Ecc 4:4). King David, a man whose heart was given to the Lord claimed he almost stumbled, his steps had nearly slipped because he took his eyes off of the Lord’s goodness. He saw the prosperity of the wicked and began to envy them (Ps 73:2-3). No one is spared from being envious.
So, what brings us back to the conviction that God is always good? Where do we see life from God’s perspective? How can God’s intervention in life seem good when it appears that those who don’t acknowledge him prosper while we who live to honor him suffer and lack?
God Keeps Us from Falling
It’s God’s strength graciously given to us through faith that keeps us from falling (Jude 24). And, it’s in worship that we return to the healthy perspective that God is who he is. In worship, we develop a desire for God that is stronger than the desire to envy what our neighbor possesses. Envy is ultimately an attack on God’s character. It puts into question whether or not God is good. In worship, we are reminded that God is always good to us. Worship of God restores the biblical perspective that we are to desire him above all else. We worship him for who he is rather than for what he gives us. This keeps us from stumbling and slipping away into being envious and strengthens our faith that God satisfies our needs.
If this is true then why do evil people, people who don’t value or worship God, prosper? The fire of envy is stoked when we see wicked people enjoying life while they get away with ignoring or disobeying God. Psalm 73 addresses this problem in surprising detail and offers a solution that might surprise you. We’ll discuss that in part two of this three-part series on overcoming envy.
