“Envy is the reverse side of a coin called vanity. Nobody is ever envious of others who is not first proud of himself.”
John Stott, The Cross of Christ
Dr. Voddie Baucham said in one of his passionate teachings that “if you can’t say amen, say ouch.” And when reading this quote, in its illuminating of our own dark recesses that we might not be aware of, or maybe are aware of but have committed to justifying it, we might be more prone to say ouch than amen to John Stott’s assessment. This uncomfortable tension is what I hope to explain, and to point to the only cure for this cancer of jealousy and envy.
Envy and jealousy are given the identical definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as ”a painful awareness of another’s possessions or advantages and a desire to have them too”. This in scripture is identified in the the prohibition of Exodus 20:1-2, 17: “And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage… You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”” God in His goodness, after redeeming His people out of slavery in Egypt gave them what has come to be known as the 10 Commandments, or Moral Law, to teach the Israelite people how to live, to bind them together as a nation, to separate them from the surrounding nations, to protect them from sin, and for the ultimate purpose that God, the Redeemer, may be glorified rightly. These rules were not oppressive, but a gift. And when we understand them in that light rightly, specifically looking at the 10th Commandment in verse 17 above quoted, it is a prohibition from this same inordinate desire for that which does not belong to you. The negative prohibition here comes with its inverse which is to be content with what God, the great Giver, has already blessed you with (see James 1:17).
This may manifest itself in many ways. Maybe you have a trustworthy vehicle, but your neighbor goes and gets yet another new car, with all the bells and whistles, for the fifth year in a row. Maybe its your phone, 6 years old, but still works just fine, but you see the latest and greatest come out, and now you question whether or not you phone is good enough any more. Maybe its your home, its still in good repair, and it does what its purpose is well, but its not a single family home with a wrap around porch that you just saw a friend who lives in Texas just purchase. Or maybe, its comparing your marriage and spouse, which is going through a season of trial, but you see your old high school crush with airbrushed smile in a far away land with her husband, and there is a longing that is created for you to wonder, if but for a moment of what could have been. You see, comparison is a thief of joy, and I would further assert that it is the mother of envy/jealousy, often even leading to despair.
This inordinate desire is what James 4:1-10 goes on to say is the source of all quarrels and warring. We desire with such longing that there is an almost visceral reaction that creates a demand, or sense of entitlement, to that which is not yours, and is outside of your control to be able to lay hold of. This demand, this entitlement, this inordinate desire is but the fruit of the sin of pride. “I want, I deserve, I need, I demand.” Our pride demands what we think we need or are entitled to, and it is this pride that Proverbs 16:18 says “…goes before destruction, and a haughty (arrogant) spirit before a fall.” But as we continue in the James 4 passage, it gives the command to repent. To turn in faith toward God, and in Him, we can have our joy complete, and with the Apostle Paul, may learn the secret of contentment (vv7-10; John 15:11; John 16:24; 1 John 1:1-4; Philippians 4:11). Augustine of Hippo in his Confessions said it like this “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Until we see our rebellion against God rightly, recognize that we have broken God’s good law, and see our greatest need is salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone, we will not know this joy complete, and learn the secret of being content in what Christ Jesus accomplished on our behalf. We will always have a longing, and search to fill that longing with things that will not ultimately, fully, and finally make us complete.
Does this mean that we will not struggle with envy and jealousy ever again? The answer is no. Jeremiah 17:9-10 states “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” But Jesus commands us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow after Him, and that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all the things we find ourselves in actual need of we will have, so don’t be anxious because in Him our joy is made complete (Mark 8:34; Matthew 6:25-34; John 16:24). The remaining sinfulness of our fleshly desire will continue to wage war against the Spirit (Romans 7:14-25), but the promise is also that God will give us the strength to wage war against our sinful desires, make a way of escape from the temptations, grant us repentance to bear good fruit of the faith, and protect our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 3:8; Philippians 4:7-13). This is good news, and it is fulfilled in the person and work of Christ Jesus, who came that we may have peace in Him (John 14:27).
When we lay hold of Christ by grace through faith, we can truly know this contentment that lasts forever, which overcomes the cancer of pride in our life. And out of gratitude for the gift of faith, it leads to a right place of worship, or doxology, which is the very title of the song which my family ends our family worship:
“Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all people here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
