Job 5:2(KJV)
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
The Word of God stands against envy; it is among the works of the flesh. Envying others earns us the displeasure and judgment of God. From the above Scripture, envy is deadly. It destroys the silly one. It is clear that envy has the power and destructive capability to go beyond wrath and anger. Envy is at the root of the fool’s anger, and no one can deliver anyone from its enslaving chains once it has taken root. Envy distorts the rational thinking process of the envious and makes such a fellow more subjective than objective. Envy takes us to the lake of fire, perverts our thinking, tortures our minds, ruins our health, consumes our bodies, wrecks our reputation, and destroys our lives. Trapped by envy, many feed themselves on the filth of their own imagination. Envy is so dangerous because it can trigger a chain of adverse events in the life of the envious. It is the midwife of jealousy and grandparents to character assassination and murder. Envy, if allowed, is dangerous to the well-being of the soul. It tends to pride; it contaminates and can eventually lead to self-destruction.
Envy is as forceful as death and as poisonous as venom. The trouble is that it unleashes more harm to the person harboring it than the person targeted. It harms or weakens one’s physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Envy is at the core of most sibling rivalries, family conflicts, disagreements, and wars. Envy provoked Joseph’s brothers to despise and sell him into slavery(Genesis 37). In other words, Joseph became a victim of his brothers’ envy and nearly lost his life had it not been for God’s intervention. Joseph would not have been subjected to slavery, blackmail, and imprisonment if his brothers had not envied him. No wonder Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:36, “And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” It was also envy that motivated the religious leaders to arrange the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:18). Many believers are still struggling with the self, and where self-exists, envy will thrive. Most criticisms and complaints today are acts rooted in envy and jealousy. Some people go to any extent to discredit, poison, afflict and destroy their own out of envy. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram paid dearly for the envy that led them to rebel against their leader Moses (Numbers 16:1-3). God publicly set them aside to show everyone that they had done the wrong thing. God, who earlier appointed them as leaders under Moses, openly discredited them, and the ground swallowed them together with their households. Envy surely terminated their generation.
Beloved, the price for envy can be very costly. There is no point in envying anyone in this life. It can cause you to lose your blessings and terminate future generations. Instead of envying anyone God blesses, learn from them because their blessings will not stop yours. As a Christian looking heavenward, you must thoroughly guard your heart against the spirit of envy. Rid yourself of envy because how you live determines where you end in time and eternity. If there is no principle guiding your life, the accident of destiny is not preventable. Envy will enslave you; anger will expose you, and wrath will destroy you and everyone you love. Do not let the devil drop this deadly venom in your heart. It would take divine intervention for an envious person to escape the consequences of their actions. Be mindful of the kind of people you share your visions, dreams, and aspirations with because man’s heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Do not deliberately wake the envy of your enemies because grace does not cover silliness. While you have the guarantee of the Lord’s protection, you must also be careful not to court envy by your actions or inactions, thereby generating unnecessary strife. Choose to separate yourself from this harmful action and walk in righteousness. All those who are jealous of the grace of God upon your life will bow to you. Remember, envy destroys.
O Lord, deliver me from the spirit of envy. Give me the grace to love and be patient in Jesus’ Name.