A Reflection On Envy

When I am weary of comparing myself to others

Our constant tendency is to compare ourselves to others, and comparison leads to envy. That affects the way we spend our money, our time, and our talents. It affects the careers we choose and the relationships we cultivate. This envy-rooted drive for success-by-comparison sucks us into a consuming rat race and tells us that we’re never quite good enough. It stresses us out. How do we get beyond such a corrosive attitude? There can be no room for envy when we measure ourselves by how God sees us rather than by how others see us. If we are all abject sinners saved by extravagant mercy, who is there to envy? Only those who have taken hold of God’s unfathomable grace, which is available in equal measure to all.

If you are eaten away by the stress of the rat race, first recognize the envy that underlies it. Then try this: perform one act per day that defies “success” as you once defined it. Choose not to impress someone; refuse to invest in an image; compliment someone you once judged. By all means, let your heart be at peace.

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Proverbs 14:30, NIV