A Few Thoughts On Envy (part1)

Let me say before I begin that I am a middle child, I am also a phlegmatic personality type (I love peace and unity...and naps...it is true), I grew up in a very modest home, and I never knew I was poor until after I wanted "things". But I also want to say that I do not feel like envy has ever been a problem for me. I am glad when others succeed; having said that...

Envy is a very sinister desire, we suspect it in others, but we seldom identify it in ourselves. It often displays it's ugly little disposition in trivial ways, but the root of it seems to be, that we do not have what we want our what we think we deserve. So, envy should be foreigner in the Christian community, but sadly it is not. We want to impress other people, or at least have what others have. We want to be on a level field with other believers and things should never be unfair; I want what you have.

It seems like envy, jealousy, and covetousness are like brothers, and they are very close. Often discontentment with things like possessions, status, and a perceived level of success, contribute to our feelings of entitlement and self-centeredness. When these feelings rise up we often think unkind thoughts, say unkind words, and we do stupid things to gratify our ego. Then we sink into the darkness of self-pity, bitterness, and depression. What a sad state of affairs. Is anything really worth all of that.

My number one thought concerning envy in my life is this:
"I will not envy because I know that God is generous and gracious. If a man or a woman is blessed in ways that I am not...I know that all of my (and their) spiritual blessings come from heaven".

We serve a very generous God. Much more generous that we deserve, our problem is (I think) that we do not always trust God's wisdom, or understand His economy.