Do not envy the wicked, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 23:17 NIV
Envy strikes without warning. We are happily going about our day when a friend mentions an exciting holiday they have taken. Suddenly joy leaves and dark envy fills the void. A colleague gets a promotion when we never seem to be noticed. Envy twists our hearts. Our life which seemed pleasant now feels dull and unfulfilling. We may envy the wicked, but we can also envy our brothers and sisters in Christ. Out of our envy sprouts greed, anger, frustration, pride. With grumbling hearts, we chaff against the provisions that God has made for our lives. We turn our backs on God and lust after money, adventure, relationships. God's goodness is now not enough.
When envy catches hold of me, I denounce it for its destructiveness. I remind myself that God is giving me exactly the life I need. He is weeding out the evil in me, including envy. He wants to fill me with love; He wants me to be close to him and know his peace. I pray that I will be quick to smack envy out of my life. God is good, all the time.
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