BEATING ENVY

We can all get a bit envious at times. Some of our classmates are clearly smarter than us. Some are better looking and get loads of attention. Others have lots of friends, newer phones, nicer clothes, etc., etc.

Envy comes up a lot in the Bible too. Rachel envied Leah because she had children (Genesis 30:1). Joseph’s brothers hated him because he was their dad’s favourite (37:11). And in today’s reading, the Jews fought against Paul’s preaching for the same reason—envy. They were jealous of how many people were willing to listen to Paul talk about Jesus (Acts 13:45).

None of us are immune from envy. It is always at work in us, ready to point out people we wish we were like. When one Christian spoke at a conference, huge crowds came to hear his messages. Then a really famous preacher came to speak at the same conference.

Soon the people were going to hear his sermons instead. The first guy was envious. He said, “The only way I can beat my feeling is to pray for the person I am jealous of every day—which I do!”

To stop envy taking over our lives, we need to be aware of it, spot it when we become jealous and admit it to God. Envy only leads to us thinking about ourselves. But if we pray for the people we’re jealous of, we force our minds away from selfishness and look instead to see what ways God might want us to love and look out for these other people.

Want More…?

Check out What is the danger of comparing? online at ourdailybread.org/lookingdeeper