You can deal with wrath and anger but it is harder to deal with envy. It was envy that caused them to put Jesus on the cross. It was envy that caused Cain to kill Abel. Envy kills, unless you kill it first.

1 – Confront the problem of envy

Who can survive envy? Envy is close to jealous. Envy is when somebody has something that I want. “Envy, is the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or prosperity of others”. (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). You think something must be wrong with you. It is a feeling of inferiority. Saul faced this problem with David. It started when the women starting singing about Saul slaying thousands and David ten thousands.

2 – Consider the poison of envy

Envy is very poisonous. See Proverbs 14:30. Envy is an inside problem. It will eat you from the inside out. There is no telling what you will do if you don’t get rid of it. Envy throws mud at the success of others. Envy hates you because you have succeeded. Some people are envious because they wish they had someone else’s wife or husband. They might be smiling on the outside but on the inside they hate that person. It will destroy your health if you let it continue.

There is a God who is able. You don’t burn a house down to kill a rat. It is possible to exterminate envy.

3 – Conquer the power of envy

There is one verse that will exterminate envy if we believe and follow it. See Philippians 4:11. We are to be content with our state in life. If we walk with God then this verse will pinch us when we start to envy. We are to be satisfied with the sovereignty and providence of God. Envy is a rebellion against the sovereignty and providence of God. God will bless as He chooses. His purposes are above our understanding:-

• Moses (Numbers 11:26-30). Moses was not envious. He would like to see God’s Spirit fall upon all the people!
• John the Baptist (John 3:26-30). John realised that Jesus was greater than He. Jesus must increase and John must decrease. The religious elite were envious of Jesus and sought to kill Him.

You are to be content with what you have. Life is too short to be made with what somebody else has. You don’t know what price they paid to get what they have. It may not be that good. Thank God for the blessings He has given you. Contentment is the only way to eliminate envy.

Categories: Proverbs