The Truth About Envy

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. Proverbs 14:30

Envy is that place I go to compare myself to others and make myself more than I really am. Envy leads to a false sense of reality.

“I could have written that book. I had all the ideas that he had.”

“I could have hit that pitch blindfolded. If only I had been given the chance to play.”

“My kids could have gotten into that college, if they had just listened to me.”

“I could have gotten that promotion if I was given the same projects as her.”

We like living in false reality because often our own reality is difficult to accept. Our own reality is filled with the challenges that have always held us back. Reality exposes our weaknesses and makes us acknowledge them.

The truth about reality is that is shakes us to the core. Handling the full weight of our human brokenness can lead to the greatest of despairs. However, it also makes us confront the truths about who and what we are.

This is where the gospel is so precious. The gospel says that I do not need to make a false presentation of myself before God. The Gospel says that I can come with nothing of benefit and be given all the gifts of heaven. The Gospel says that I am no longer in need of envy because the treasures of the world are placed in me. The Gospel says that there is nothing in my inheritance that will rot away. There is no power over me which has not be conquered through the grace and mercy of my Savior, Jesus Christ.