There’s nothing wrong with you

This blog builds on the Envy not good blog.

I was reading in Acts 13:44-45 and it says,

“On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.”

The same thing occurred with Jesus in Mark 15:10. So, I started to notice that envy is much bigger than I first thought. What’s interesting is that the public doesn’t frown up on it, but in some situations it seems like if you are envious then you’re goal oriented. That is my opinion. What is certain though is that it is not talked about very much in public or the church. What is talked about is lust, greed, stealing, and drug or alcoholic addiction. Another personal opinion.

I prayed and thought about what is part of envy’s lie? This is what came to mind.

Initially, envy says nothing is wrong with you until it tells you something or someone else is better and you lack it. Then it says there is something wrong with you. The something or someone better can be one of two things: a lie or truth. In either case, envy seems to enable self-strength (which leads to idolatry) to acquire what it thinks it lacks, but is not able to ever be satisfied. No peace or rest.

What also is interesting is in the Hebrew and Aramaic the noun word of envy is envy, but the verb word is jealousy. The noun almost seems like a passive seed and jealousy is its active fruit.

In God’s nature, love does not envy. Love is aware of itself and who it is. If I know who I am in Christ then envy has no power. In my identity in Christ, by grace and according to the word of truth, I cast down envious and vain imaginations that are contrary to who I am because I know they are not true. Love is all self-sufficient.

Hope is created by faith through the revelation of Christ in us. His hope is constantly churning an engulfing, consuming, eager expectation in the believer by grace. This hope is totally contrary in nature to envy. Love always hopes and perseveres. It never fails. Love hopes for a good report. Love eagerly expects good things to happen and wants good things to happen to others and not just itself. Love is all self-sufficient, but not self-seeking.