YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF NO ONE’S well being, more than your own when you operate in envy or jealousy. One of our earliest church fathers in the faith said this, “Whoever he is whom you persecute with jealousy, can evade and escape you. You cannot escape yourself. Wherever you may be, your adversary is with you; your enemy is always in your own breast; your mischief is shut up within; you are tied and bound with the links of chains from which you cannot extricate yourself; you are captive under the tyranny of jealousy”. Cyprian was really just expanding on Scripture,
“Who is able to stand before envy?” James gives us a further revelation of envy, “For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.” James 3:16
Where jealousy/envy exists, every wicked practice comes. Oh boy. Heart check time. Someone can walk around with jealousy in their heart a long time before it’s revealed. I was talking to my daughter the other day about a jealous “friend”. This girl at one time even came clean about her jealousy toward my daughter, but slipped back into it. She put on a mask for all to see. What she and many others do not realize is that they are only deceiving themselves.
Proverbs tells us that envy is as “rottenness in the bones”. It’s a cancer that’s settled in your bones. This thing is not benign. If you wonder why your home, job, relationships, church family is in chaos- could just be because envy and selfish ambition exists. I’m not sure you realize this, but your envious heart affects the whole Body. The church connection with our brothers and sisters in Christ is cosmically intricate. You should take your position in the Body with the utmost seriousness. It’s not about you. Your care and negligence of the Body affects us all. Envy will destroy everything in its path. It is wicked.
Another huge problem with most sins of selfishness is that if left unchecked, they manifest in rebellion and confusion. Others cannot see your heart, but what is brewing in there will eventually come out. Jealousy creates blind spots. You cannot discern correctly and you cannot hear clearly because you are blinded by your spiritual pride and envy. The Holy Spirit is choked out of your life by jealousy. Envy left to itself produces selfish ambition and then contention gives birth to rebellion.
What is it that you envy? A relationship? Money? Status? Power? Position? Favor? What is it that you don’t have that you think you deserve? Read that again. Stop pointing the finger at others and point it at yourself. Get rid of envy and all selfish ambition. It will produce a crop of rotten fruit. How’s your confusion meter? If there is confusion in your life/ home/church/job; search for the root of envy and weed it out.
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page