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Love Series: Envy

Writer's picture: Gloria WigginsGloria Wiggins



Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:4-7

 

As we enter week three of the love series, our focus shifts to an enemy, not expression, of love -envy. Unlike patience and kindness which are both expressions of love, envy is its nemesis. 

 

What is envy you ask?  According to Webster's it,  "is a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc." In contrast to jealously, which is a close relative and I believe the seed of envy, "denotes a longing to possess something awarded to or achieved by another." Jealousy is the breeding ground for envy. While jealousy is dangerous, envy is lethal. It is lethal because it is a condition of the heart.

 

The Word declares that the heart about all things is deceitful and it must be guarded. Why? Because from the heart flows the issues of life. Therefore I encourage you to not allow envy to take root in your heart. It is cancerous and will serve to destroy everything you touch. It will work subtlety in your life to infect your every endeavor. 

 

Do you envy? If so, how does it manifest in your life? ...a sly smile at someones misfortune, secretly wishing someone would fall from a position of grace, coveting what someone else has..If you're honest with yourself and discover that you harbor envy toward someone ask yourself why. Anytime that I become aware of envy in my life I immediately confess it so that it will not take root.  By doing this, I destroy its power to secretly work in my life by exposing it through confession.

 

I encourage you to evaluate any attitudes of envy this week and determine to root in out of your life. Don't be afraid to acknowledge it. You can't confront it unless you first acknowledge it. In closing, remember that we are all a work in process so don't walk in condemnation. 


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