DO YOU DRINK YOUR OWN POISON?

 

Recently, I attended an online prayer meeting and one of our dear friends Bro. Gaurish spoke about the capital sin of ENVY. 

This is a sin, he said, that is committed the most but confessed the least. Or perhaps it is never confessed because it is not considered to be a sin at all. 

ENVY is the feeling 

that you have 

when someone else has 

what you want.

As he spoke, I thought of the various times I have bought things for my home because I saw it in advertisements, on Pinterest or at a friend's home. 

In the Bible, we see several instances of the spirit of envy which led men and women to commit other crimes like stealing and murder. A classic example is that of Saul. 

When David returned from war, the women would greet him as he entered the gates, dancing with joy and singing his praises:

" Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands.”

This aroused jealousy in the heart of King Saul and from that time on, he sought an opportunity to kill David. 

In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had everything except the fruit from the tree of knowledge. The devil, in the guise of a serpent, aroused the sin of ENVY in Eve's heart.

 "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

And so Eve was tempted to eat the fruit that would give her wisdom and she disobeyed God. 

St. James says in his letter that 

“.. where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Have you ever felt restless, lost sleep or even felt a burning desire to get, by hook or by crook, something that another person has ? Sometimes it's an object we desire, or it would even be a person! Our selfishness makes us so blind that we are willing to steal and even murder to get for ourselves what another has.  

King David had many wives and concubines yet he desired another man's wife. He used his authority to possess her and when she was with child, he covered up his theft by getting her husband killed in battle. 

Sometimes we see evil people prospering and we say to ourselves, "What is the use of being good?" But Proverbs 23:17-18 warns us not to envy these people. 

"Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." 

The root causes of jealousy and envy are connected to a person's inability to see what God has provided in their life and a lack of thankfulness. 

If God has given you the ability to sing well, do not ENVY the person who paints well. For example, my son Aaron paints extremely well but ask him to sing and you will need to stop your ears. I, on the other hand, cannot draw even stick figures properly but I can sing well. Do I envy my son? Of course not! Does he envy my singing? No! 

Comparing oneself with another can also cause ENVY. For instance, if you have a spouse who takes you for granted, and you see another woman being appreciated and loved by her spouse, you might wish you had her husband. Or that your husband behaved towards you like her husband does. This could lead to discontent and sometimes, even divorce. 

Men and women envy a little differently from each other. Women tend to envy other women who are more beautiful than them and hence more popular. That's why the beauty and fashion industry prospers. 

Men tend to be envious of other men for their position in society and their buying power and this has caused the automobile and power tool industries to thrive. Like women, men also envy other men for their physique and gyms are the result of this obsession with the self. 

So how can we overcome ENVY?

1. Be truly thankful for all that you already have. 

2. Be good to others. Praise them for their good qualities and praise God for the good gifts He has given them. 

3. Spend time with grateful people and avoid avaricious people.

4. Remind yourself (when you do feel envious) that nobody has it all.

5. Recognise that pride is the flip side of envy. 

A wise man once said: 

ENVY IS LIKE DRINKING POISON AND HOPING THAT THE OTHER PERSON DIES.

So, swallow your pride, pour the contents of that cup of envy down the drain and free yourself from the bondage of this deadly sin. If you are convicted, confess it as soon as you can and receive from Jesus the corresponding virtue of KINDNESS.