Envy

Bread

The Lion Loosed

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

Proverbs 23:17 (NIV)

1 Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; 2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. 3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. 5 A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;

Proverbs 24:1-5 (NIV)

20 He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”

Mark 7:20-23 (NIV)

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

Titus 3:3-5 (NIV)

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

James 3:13-16 (NIV)

1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

Butter

The Lesson Learned

“Many aspects of the flesh are disarmed and eliminated by a deep apprehension of our justification by faith. Faith in Christ cures unbelief, anxiety, and insecurity, and in so doing it cuts the roots of envy, jealousy and a host of related egocentric fleshly patterns.” Richard Lovelace

“The disease of not-enough... is cured when you give thanks for more than enough grace. ‘He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all — how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?’ If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Himself to the worst by sending His own Son — is there anything else He wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?” (Romans 8:32, NIV, MSG) If God already gave us the extraordinary extravagance of Jesus — He will give the ordinary enough of right now. It’s always our relentless desire for more — that destroys more and more of us. The more you want —- the more you will be destroyed.” Ann Voskamp

“If you want to be a miserable person, then be an envious person. It is not necessarily a bad thing to admire something that someone else has. When we say, ‘I envy you. You are going on vacation,’ we aren't necessarily using envy in the worst sense of the word. To envy is to be angry when someone else has something that you don't have. A literal definition of the word envy is ‘a malignant or hostile feeling.’ So it is not a matter of saying, ‘You have a lot. Wow, that is really great! I wish I had that!’ Rather, it's an attitude that says, ‘I am actually angry with you that you have those things and I don't have them.’ Envy has been described as a small-town sin; it breeds on proximity. We don't tend to envy someone who is famous and successful. Instead, we envy our neighbors, a relative, or a coworker. We are fine as long as we are all equal, as long as we are all on the same playing field. But if one begins to succeed, if one gets an opportunity we think we should have had, if one has something wonderful happen, we become envious. Shakespeare called envy the green-eyed monster, and it's a green-eyed monster that can strangle you. Be a jealous person, and you will give the Devil a foothold just as Cain did—and you will face the repercussions.” Greg Laurie

“All the commandments of God are commandments of love tending to our real good and great happiness; far from being grievous to those who have faith and love, the practice thereof is life and peace. The world may think it a grievous burden; but this is a great mistake indeed. Sin is grievous. In hatred, envy, anger, revenge, pride, there is nothing but torment and slavery; but in love there is a sweet rest and pleasure. Thus a sinner always punishes himself, and is robbed of great peace and blessing, by transgressing the commandments of God.” K. H. Von Bogatzky

“Let us note how far from satisfactory is the state of those who are content with sound doctrinal opinions, and orthodox correct views of the Gospel, while in their daily life they give way to ill-temper, ill-nature, malice, envy, quarrelling, squabbling, bickering, surliness, passion, snappish language, and crossness of word and manner. Such persons, whether they know it or not, are daily proclaiming that they are not Christ’s disciples. It is nonsense to talk about justification, and regeneration, and election, and conversion, and the uselessness of works, unless people can see in us practical Christian love.” John Charles Ryle

Heart Savor

The Lion Roars

  • We are never to be lacking in zeal but keep our spiritual fervor serving the Lord.
  • We are to be zealous for the Lord’s great Name – through His power for His glory.
  • Create in me a pure heart and a steadfast spirit Oh Lord.