5 Insidious Problems With Envy You Have Likely Overlooked

In my last post, I told you about an experience I had at an out of town meeting. I also told you that there would likely be more learning to come out of that incident. Well, I was right. In fact, it was at church that I was hit in the face with what I think was the root of my woes – envy.

Doubt and Frustration

If you have not read the last two posts, you need to start here with Part 1 and then read Part 2 here. Those posts will catch you up to this one.

At the time described in those posts, I recognized that I was in the wrong. I knew I was depressed and frustrated, but without real justification, during the two days of meetings. However, I did not see the depth of my problem. I was too focused on the circumstances to see the root.

Misdiagnosis

As I explained, I am very competitive! I do not like to lose and I saw the comparisons in that meeting as indications that I was losing. It created a deep frustration and anger at the picture on which I was focused.

Unfortunately, I did not see the root of this problem until reading over my Sunday School lesson the next week. The light slowly came on as I progressed through Sunday School and then listened to the sermon on the same topic.

As I read several examples of envy in the Bible, I began to recognize that it was the real root of my frustration.

Examples of Envy

As early as Genesis 4, envy shows up when Cain and Abel gave offerings to God. Abel’s offering pleased God, but Cain’s did not. This angered Cain and caused him to attack and kill his brother.

In Numbers 12:1, Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses for marrying a Cushite woman, but the real issue came out in verse 2. Here, they attacked Moses’ position of leadership, saying they should be sharing in it. Miriam was punished with leprosy for instigating this incident.

Later, you can read about King Saul and his envy of David in 1 Samuel 18. When the people sang about David’s conquests being greater than King Saul’s, this greatly angered King Saul. This envy eventually drove Saul to attempt to kill David on a couple of occasions.

My Issue Was Envy

More and more, I began to see how my attitude in those meetings was more about envy than being competitive. I could call it whatever I wanted to call it, but it looked just like envy when compared to the stories in the Bible.

No, I was not angry enough to want to attack anyone in the meetings! At the same time, I was certainly sideways to the point of not being able to learn and function the way I should have been. I just kept looking at the numbers and obsessing over the gap between ours and theirs. Is this really any different?

Problems With Envy

Just so you know how serious envy can be, I have compiled a short list of five problems you need to consider when faced with envy in your heart. As is normally the case, this is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good start. Maybe you can add to it in the comment section.

1. You are the one hurt the most.

Envy is not healthy and will eat you alive from the inside. In fact, Proverbs 14:30 calls it rottenness in the bones. Those you envy will never know it and will not be hurt by it. Envy as a weapon is best described as a boomerang!

2. You are thinking in scarcity terms.

This problem with envy is that it assumes a win for someone else is a loss for us. Their fortune is our misfortune. This is simply wrong thinking! God can bless us as He chooses. He does not have a limited number of blessings that He can dole out. Psalm 24:1 tells us that the entire earth is God’s – and everything in it! God’s economy is an abundance economy, not one of scarcity.

3. Things will only get worse.

James 3:16 tells us that envy leads to disorder and every kind of evil. You cannot stop the train of your emotions at envy. Once started, that train will plow through relationships, businesses, and any lives that get in its way.

4. You are telling God you do not trust Him.

When we envy others, we tell God that we do not trust His will for us. We scream to Him that we deserve more and that He must not be looking out for our best interests. We are more likely to grab the steering wheel from Him at this point and attempt to head in a different direction than He wills for us.

5. You are telling God that what He has given is not enough.

And saving the best for last, with our envy, we tell God that the blessings He has given us so far are not enough – beginning with our salvation through the cross of His Son Jesus! We are basically saying that we know we are blessed, but we want to be MORE blessed and He needs to get started on that right now!

What would you add to the list?

Have you battled envy?

How do you overcome envy in your life?

Photo by Oliver Hoffmann/iStock