Proverbs 14:30
A sound (peaceful) heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.
Envy is described as a feeling/emotion of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or blessing.”
Why is it important for us to understand how it affects us today? The world we live in is a breeding ground for the spirit of envy. Now, more than ever, we are faced with everyone’s life as they want it to be seen, as they design it, and the comparison to our own lives can stir up envy within us.
Some of us may hardly notice it, but for others, it’s a silent killer. This poison strangles our ability to get help from those who have more; it cripples our connectedness to others and spoils relationships.
“Envy rots the bones” says our theme verse. It is poison to the heart. Our flesh will always naturally feel the sting of envy when presented with the opportunity. Envy hates to see other people happy and secretly rejoices when others fall. Someone said, envy cannot bear to admire, respect, or show gratitude.
Envy comes from one’s inner desires that battle within them. When one feels incapable/ insufficient then envy kicks in. They look at another who has “succeeded” in an area they wish to succeed in, and their insecurity makes them feel envious.
James 4:1-3
¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
I say! Identify that area in your life that you find lacking/insufficient, seek knowledge about it from the word of God or from someone that has succeeded in it, sit down, learn & apply the wisdom/principles in your own life and watch how God will transform you. Seek to improve yourself and develop your gifts to their full capacity!
Knowing the danger of jealousy, a wise person will take care not to provoke it. Cain killed his own brother, Saul sought after David’s life, Joseph’s brothers sold him off. All these characters simply thought/felt the other was better than them but went ahead and acted on their feelings which ruined them.
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Become conscious of who you are in Christ, the righteousness of God, and walk accordingly. Because you are Spirit, created by God in righteousness and true holiness, you’re not supposed to struggle to do right or live right. His righteousness in you gives you the ability to live above sin.
Proverbs 27:4
Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, but who is able to stand before jealousy?
(Proverbs27:4 kjv
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?)
Who is able to stand before jealousy! I say! One who is fully submitted to God.
James 4:7-8
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
We submit to God by responding rightly to the indwelling Holy Spirit, by obeying his word. You draw near to God, through prayer and studying his word. Through these, you get to know who God is and who you are in Him, then you find rest. The truth is that you are very valuable to God, you are His handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works which He prepared for you in advance to do.
Feed your spirit with so much of God’s word that the negative thoughts/feelings cannot find ground in your heart, they’ll just fall away/flee.
1 John 4:8
He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. Love is God’s nature. So, for us to live like Him we must manifest love.
Recall how Jesus lived when He walked the earth; He was love manifested. His works were works of love. He was always about his Father’s business. His words were words of love. He was love in motion. Everywhere He went, Love invaded that atmosphere. Now, what about you? Acts 17:29 says you’re God’s offspring meaning that you’re the reproduction of love.
So, when those feelings/thoughts of envy come, declare over self, “I am an offspring of love and love flows from within me, I’m full of love as Jesus is; I live in His Name; therefore, I walk, and act like Him.”
Prophetic Utterance:
I radiate and express God’s love, and with all humility, gentleness, and patience, I relate with others graciously, I express the beauty and glories of heaven to my world. I’m not envious, jealous, boastful or arrogant, but accommodating and kind because the love of God is in my heart by the Holy Spirit. I am a member of the body of Christ, created to do great works already prepared for me. Amen and Amen!
Guiding text:
Ephesians 4:2
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Romans 12 :4-6
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Further study: 1 Corinthians 12 :22-26