It's Not Easy Being Green

Envy.  What do you think about envy?  Until recently I thought it sounded like a less offensive term than jealousy.  I felt better saying that I was 'envious' of someone or something, rather than saying I was 'jealous'.  I thought that they were a pretty much synonymous. Then I went on our third year college weekend away.

Did you know that envy is more than just jealousy?  Envy adds a whole new level of maliciousness.  According to my ancient and pre-political correctness Chambers's Dictionary, envy is "grief at the sight of another's success: to hate on account of prosperity".  Now that sounds pretty darn serious, but as Bill Salier pointed out, it can be seen on all kinds of levels in our society.  At a seeminlgy harmless level, you see it in the gossip magazine's "Celebrities without makeup" photo shoots.  We get that little surge of pleasure at seeing seemingly flawless beauties with bad hair and pimples.  You also get a sense of it on Funniest Home Videos.  At an extreme, you see it when parents hurt their children so that their estranged partners "can't have them".  Societally, you see it played out in our 'tall poppy syndrome'.  We Aussies love to cut those who rise above us back down to size.  Envy is rife.

I don't like to admit it, but envy is resident in my heart too.  Honestly, sometimes when I hear about good things being given to other people there is a little part of me that wishes that I could have it instead of them.  The little voice that whispers, "Why them?  I work so much harder. I am so much more deserving!"  Or that thought that if only Jane had a little bit of a taste of how hard things are for me, then she'd really know what this job/parenting/running a household is all about.

How quickly I forget everything that God has given me that I have not, can not and will never deserve.  I have forgiveness and every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3), and yet I stew over and begrudge these tiny fleeting things that appear so very big at the time.  Envy is evidently something that we are seriously warned to put off (1 Corinthians 13:4, Galatians 5:21, Galatians 5:26,  Titus 3:3, 1 Peter 2:1), but how do we do this?  To scratch the surface, Galatians 5 implores us to keep in step with the Spirit and it's desires, and to put off the desires of our sinful natures.  I think regular Bible reading can be a big help here, reminding ourselves of God's big plan and everything he's done for us and keeping our priorities in line with his.  Prayer is another huge one - asking for God's help to overcome envy and praying for those that we feel envious of, perhaps even thanking God for the way that he was blessed them.  Steering clear of people or situations that provoke us to envy might also be helpful.  Be encouraged that in imploring us to put off envy, with the Spirit's help, it is possible.

How wonderful that it is not only our actions, but also our thoughts that are important to God.  He loves us in our entirety and changes us entirely through his Spirit. Thank you Lord for a new hearts. Please help us not to return to our old ones.

Image is by lamazone of flickr