Envy is an insidious attitude that can creep into our hearts, so we must be aware of this possibility and be vigilant against it. If allowed to develop unjudged it can lead to murder. One wonders if envy was part of the motive behind Cain’s killing of his brother. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God while his was not. We do know that envy was the reason that the Lord was delivered up to Pilate, that He be crucified: “For [Pilate] knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy” (Mk. 15:10). Paul also suffered envy by the Jews who instigated persecution against him as they saw the response of large crowds receiving the gospel message that Paul preached (Acts 13:45).

If we allow envy to grow in our heart, we should not be surprised if this gives birth to other fleshly attitudes and actions: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, and all evil speaking.

We have a beautiful example in the prophet John the Baptist. When he announced the coming of the Messiah, he clearly declared that he was not worthy to even loose the sandal strings of the Messiah. Then later when John was told that the Lord was baptizing more than he, his response was, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” There was no competition or envy between John the Baptist and the Lord; John understood and stated, “a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

This applies to us and includes gifts, service, possessions, position, family, health, respect, and whatever we possess. To envy is to complain against the Lord, not being satisfied with what the Lord has given us—something that should never enter our hearts. The Lord knows what is best for us. May we serve Him faithfully, and not be envious of what others have.