Warrior8080
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- Jul 18, 2020
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What does the Bible say about envy? How do I make it stop?
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I have too much envy in my soul
- Thread starter Warrior8080
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Hey Warrior8080
Well, the Scriptures are fairly clear that envy is a sin. Covetousness and envy are about the same thing. We find ourselves wanting what someone else has or how someone else acts.
The cure is the Holy Spirit and the word. We need to understand what it is and that we fall into it and seek God's forgiveness and seek the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit and immerse ourselves in the word. Specifically, the parts of the God's instructions to us about the sin and consequences of such an attitude. Go through, with a concordance, write down all the places that teach us about envy and covetousness and then sit down and read those specific places. But before you do, pray and ask for the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit in what God's word is telling us. Do it day after day for about a week, maybe two. It does work, but one has to be diligent in their desire to overcome it. God's word tells us to use the word to wash our minds. So, I take that to mean that when we suffer and stuggle with some attitude of sin, then we need to put our minds through that wash cycle a few times. God bless and be diligent.
Well, the Scriptures are fairly clear that envy is a sin. Covetousness and envy are about the same thing. We find ourselves wanting what someone else has or how someone else acts.
The cure is the Holy Spirit and the word. We need to understand what it is and that we fall into it and seek God's forgiveness and seek the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit and immerse ourselves in the word. Specifically, the parts of the God's instructions to us about the sin and consequences of such an attitude. Go through, with a concordance, write down all the places that teach us about envy and covetousness and then sit down and read those specific places. But before you do, pray and ask for the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit in what God's word is telling us. Do it day after day for about a week, maybe two. It does work, but one has to be diligent in their desire to overcome it. God's word tells us to use the word to wash our minds. So, I take that to mean that when we suffer and stuggle with some attitude of sin, then we need to put our minds through that wash cycle a few times. God bless and be diligent.
PopaSodinski
Member
- Mar 8, 2021
- 172
- 340
Offhand, I remember one of the 10 commandments expressly forbids coveting. Focus not on what others have, but remember what God has provided you instead.
The remedy for envy is contentment. Here are a whole bunch of passages:
1 Timothy 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Php 4:11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
Romans 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
Romans 13:13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
1 Co 3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
James 3:16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking
1 Timothy 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Php 4:11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
Romans 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
Romans 13:13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
1 Co 3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
James 3:16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking
Tenchi
Member
- Oct 10, 2022
- 3,517
- 1,727
The same way all sin is halted in the life of a child of God.
By the word of Truth. (Psalm 119:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)
By the power of God. (Philippians 1:6; 2:13; 4:13; Ephesians 3:16; 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
By the armor of righteousness. (1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 6:12-14; 1 Peter 3:10-12)
Read Romans 6. Pay very close attention to the commands the apostle Paul gives in the chapter. Then, do as Paul commands. Read Romans 8:13-14 and Romans 12:1. Read Galatians 5:16-18, 25. Live in these verses, make them the stuff of your everyday living. When you do, not only will envy cease to plague you, but the Person of Christ will shine ever more brightly from you.
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Sins are things that destroy your life. Some destroy it outside, like gluttony. Others destroy your inner life, like envy. It's like a disease or an addiction. It needs to be treated like any other disease, but you will never be able to get rid of it completely unless it is eliminated from above.
You must understand that you are not envious of others, but rather envious of what your imagination thinks of others. The things you are envious of do not exist. When we put ourselves in the shoes of others, we usually want to return to our own life, because we often minimize the problems that others have and exaggerate our own.
Be wise, be content with what you have, because if you could know everything, this is exactly what you would choose.
You must understand that you are not envious of others, but rather envious of what your imagination thinks of others. The things you are envious of do not exist. When we put ourselves in the shoes of others, we usually want to return to our own life, because we often minimize the problems that others have and exaggerate our own.
Be wise, be content with what you have, because if you could know everything, this is exactly what you would choose.
You don't.
But as you let scripture, bible teaching, sermons etc etc fill your mind and as you seek to avoid worldly ways and be conformed to God's ways you will slowly find it easier to avoid being envious, lustful, angry etc etc etc
- Aug 22, 2018
- 518
- 128
Without going in to a chapter/verse, which you could do on such as biblegateway.com, I think that envy can be either bad or good. The negative side is highlighted: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (NIV: Pr.14:30). That is a sin towards ourselves, self-harm. And we are warned not to envy evildoers, for they are spiritually ne’er-do-wells. But may we not envy positively our betters in the Christian faith, and set ourselves higher targets under God?
Similarly, the Greek word zēlō warns against evil coveting and its potential unhappy outcomes (Jas.4:2), but it has a positive side (1 Cor.12:31). It’s an inner energy which can be directed either way.
You I guess are talking more about the negative, which of course can harm you and through you others, and displeases God. I don’t know the answer, but it will include the likes of counting your many blessings, naming them one by one. They include something of what you have become as a Christian (I’m assuming you have become one). Seek to maximise within working life, a focus on the spiritual walk with the spirit as your guide and godly companions at your side. That’s a walk of godly living, godly love, and godly knowledge. Wrong envy is part of Eph.4:22-4—v23 commands us to passively allow the spirit to reshape our minds.
The enemy is by definition an accuser, and can accuse us to ourselves. When we thought we were doing well we might slip up. There, says he, you’re a failure, so you may as well accept it, you’re a loser and always will be. Micah 7:8 speaks to this: Yahweh is our light, knows we are fallible and prone to err, yet is on our side. Maybe memorise that in a good translation, and speak it out loud if you slip into sinful envy. In short, don’t beat yourself up, though a self-reprimand, along with a positive confession (I shall overcome with God’s help), can work wonders towards your mind escaping wrong envy.
Beetow
Member
- Dec 14, 2024
- 1,014
- 89
I can't help but envy God. He's above it all; safe and secure and never in any
danger of war, natural disasters, disease, economic calamities, old age, and most
especially perdition.
But us? We're like insects, no, worse than that, we're as helpless, as fragile, and as
vulnerable as the vegetation that's been burning in Los Angeles.
● Isa 40:6-8 . . All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the
field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of The Lord blows
on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but
the word of our God stands forever.
_
danger of war, natural disasters, disease, economic calamities, old age, and most
especially perdition.
But us? We're like insects, no, worse than that, we're as helpless, as fragile, and as
vulnerable as the vegetation that's been burning in Los Angeles.
● Isa 40:6-8 . . All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the
field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of The Lord blows
on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but
the word of our God stands forever.
_
Beetow
Member
- Dec 14, 2024
- 1,014
- 89
.
I was not only envious of God, but of Jesus too because pleasing God is second
nature to God's son whereas for me it's an effort. Well; thus far I hadn't done very
well at it, and I was pretty sure I never would do well at it.
Long story short: it occurred to me that it would be the cat's meow if I were as
naturally pleasing to God as His son Jesus always is, because then it would be very
easy to not only obtain Heaven, but also very easy to stay in Heaven without fear
of being kicked out:
So then: I was immensely surprised, and excited, upon discovering that something
very similar to the very thing I wished for is contained in a promise that God made
to Moses' people.
● Ezek 36:24-27 . . I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home
again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.
Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give
you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will
take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put
My spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command.
That benefit was originally intended for the Jews but anon became available to
Gentiles too.
● Isa 49:5-6 . . And now The Lord says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his
servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in
the eyes of The Lord and my God has been my strength --He says: It is too small
a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those
of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may
bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.
And sure enough, the benefit is reiterated in the new testament per 2Pet 1:3-4
which says:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through
our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these
He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you
may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption that's in the world."
I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots
more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature
could ever wish for.
● Jer 13:23 . . Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither
can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.
Anyway: my point is: envy isn't always a bad thing; especially when it motivates
folks to improvement, for example:
● Rom 10:19 . . Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: I will
make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a
nation that has no understanding.
● Rom 11:11 . . Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at
All! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to
make Israel envious.
● Rom 11:13-15 . . I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to
the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow
arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
_
I was not only envious of God, but of Jesus too because pleasing God is second
nature to God's son whereas for me it's an effort. Well; thus far I hadn't done very
well at it, and I was pretty sure I never would do well at it.
Long story short: it occurred to me that it would be the cat's meow if I were as
naturally pleasing to God as His son Jesus always is, because then it would be very
easy to not only obtain Heaven, but also very easy to stay in Heaven without fear
of being kicked out:
So then: I was immensely surprised, and excited, upon discovering that something
very similar to the very thing I wished for is contained in a promise that God made
to Moses' people.
● Ezek 36:24-27 . . I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home
again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.
Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give
you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will
take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put
My spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command.
That benefit was originally intended for the Jews but anon became available to
Gentiles too.
● Isa 49:5-6 . . And now The Lord says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his
servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in
the eyes of The Lord and my God has been my strength --He says: It is too small
a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those
of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may
bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.
And sure enough, the benefit is reiterated in the new testament per 2Pet 1:3-4
which says:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through
our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these
He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you
may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption that's in the world."
I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots
more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature
could ever wish for.
● Jer 13:23 . . Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither
can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.
Anyway: my point is: envy isn't always a bad thing; especially when it motivates
folks to improvement, for example:
● Rom 10:19 . . Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: I will
make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a
nation that has no understanding.
● Rom 11:11 . . Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at
All! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to
make Israel envious.
● Rom 11:13-15 . . I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to
the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow
arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
_
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