Sermon Info
Summary
Envy literally robs your life of joy! Jealousy puts me in a position where I am intentionally choosing not to be grateful for what I have, or where I am, but rather it’s a yearning for what I do not have. Jealousy, like all sin, creates a false narrative that I can find contentment and joy in the things of this world. May you seek to find peace and life in the true source, the only source, Jesus Christ!
Content
The Cause of Envy
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30
Envy is one of the “Seven Deadly Sins.” All sin is deadly, but these seven are found at the core of countless other sins. One of the reasons envy is so dangerous and persistent in our lives is that it follows us wherever we go and regardless of our circumstances. We’re usually content with what we have. That is, until we see something better or someone else with more! And in that moment, we’re tempted to build up resentment against that person — not because they did anything wrong — but simply because they were given what we want and pridefully believe we deserve.
Why is it that things we once cherished seem to lose their luster with age? Why does the grass always look greener on the other side of the fence? Envy has less to do with stuff than it has to do with souls.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. James 3:13-16
If we need stuff or status to make us feel worthy, envy will creep in. True wisdom allows us to know and feel that Christ is enough. If we expect justice to be delivered by “karma,” we rely on false, earthly wisdom. If we “follow our hearts” before we follow Christ, we open ourselves up to all manner of sin. These false wisdoms place our own feelings of how things should be over the perfect justice of our Father. They cause us to feel that we deserve more than we have, rather than to experience the truth: Christ is enough.
The Cost of Envy
The resentment and jealousy stirred up by our envy can cause us to mistreat the people around us. In Genesis 4, Cain commits humanity’s first murder in envy of his brother Abel, whose offering to God had been looked upon more favorably. Since the beginning, people have sinned against one another because of their envy. Though our transgressions may not be so violent, they still serve to tear down our relationships with others and ensure we fail to live up to the command that we love our neighbor.
Even in isolation from others, envy will steal your joy. In Philippians 4:12-13, Paul says, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Circumstances, stuff, and status cannot bring us true joy — only momentary happiness. Our envious feelings cause us to focus on what we lack, rather than what we have. We will be downcast if we spend our time lamenting our own insufficiencies, but we will be joyous if we fill our minds with the knowledge of the sufficiency of Christ, who values us beyond measure.
More still, envy denies your uniqueness. Ephesians 2:10 reads, For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. God has crafted each of us with a purpose and a role to fulfill. And when we desire the lives of others, we waste our energy and neglect our calling to live the life God has created us to live.
The Cure for Envy
To remove a sin from your life, you need to replace it with something better. We need to replace envy with contentment. Like Paul, we can experience the secret of being content in any situation: a focus on Jesus!
So, what are some practical steps to take? One is to replace our earthly wisdoms with true, spiritual, Godly wisdom. Our God has blessed us with access to His Word, the Bible, with which we can fight the false wisdoms of the world.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. — Hebrews 4:12
Another step is to pray for and celebrate those we find ourselves envying. We can ask God to soften our hearts against them so that we do not sin but instead treat them with love, just as God loves us. And finally, we need to practice gratitude at all times, for all things, big and small. Every day that we have water, food, and air to breathe, we have a reason for gratitude. And on any day we might lack those things, we still have the greatest reason for gratitude and contentment of all: Jesus’ willing sacrifice for us all.
