The Ugliness of Envy

“Describe yourself in three words.” I remember being asked this question in a job interview. The three words I chose presented myself positively. I certainly did not describe myself as envious—but I could have.

Envy. The word sounds as ugly as the condition it represents. We sometimes downplay it by describing ourselves as discontent or “restless.” But coveting what God, in His sovereign wisdom, has chosen to give someone else but not us is sin. Envy is just as wrong as these other evils Jesus lists in Mark 7:21-22. “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly” (NIV). Jesus includes envy in the same category as murder and adultery. Convicting, right? 

Let’s clarify what we mean by envy. Envy is not simply wanting something we do not have. All of us have good longings for things we pray God may provide one day. These longings in and of themselves are not sin. What we do with our longings makes the difference. Do we entrust them to God and ask Him to provide as He sees best? Or do we start comparing our lack with the blessings of others—and coveting what they have and we do not?

Envy is making an idol of our longings.

Envy is making an idol of our longings. It means we justify our desires as something we deserve and fixate on them so tightly that they claim the throne of our hearts, a place that belongs only to the true King, God Himself.

As the mom of a young toddler, I am guilty of envy when I compare myself to other moms. Often, I am tempted to envy the stay-at-home mom who doesn’t juggle work and motherhood. What I’ve learned is that comparison fuels envy, and I must not entertain those thoughts when they arise. If you struggle with envy too, the good news is that the Bible provides a cure. 

Let’s dig into what Scripture says about envy to find out what the remedy is.

1 Peter 2:1: “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” (NIV)

Proverbs 14:30: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” (NLT)

I Corinthians 13:4: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (NIV)

Galatians 5:25-26: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (NIV)

James 3:16-17: “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”(NIV)

These verses reveal a two-fold remedy: We must first get rid of envy and leave no room for it in our hearts. Instead, we should replace that heart-space with Spirit-filled virtues. Much better substitutes include peace, love, humility, and mercy. 

God,

Thank You for Your Word and its wisdom. Thank You for caring about the condition of my heart. Help me prune envy from my life and replace it with Spirit-filled qualities that honor You. I confess my sin of coveting what others have and I do not. I am sorry for elevating my longings to the place of an idol in my life and taking my focus off You. I trust that in Your wisdom, You know what is best for me and will provide or withhold as you see fit. Lord, You know that envy is a struggle for me, and I ask that You would help me have victory over this sin in my life. Instead of being envious, fill me with more of Yourself so that my life reflects the wisdom that is from You. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.