Of the Seven Deadly Sins, it is envy that is the most widely condemned by society. Lust, gluttony and slothfulness all have an appeal in the moment, anger also allows for a release of pent up frustration and pride means that you are feeling good about yourself. It’s easy for us to see why people fall into those sins; they promise fulfilment and enjoyment before they twist and destroy. Yet with envy, there is no momentary satisfaction or gratification.
Envy is closely related to pride; in fact they are almost like two faces of a coin, both sharing in common the act of comparison. But whereas with pride you compare yourself favourably to another, with envy you compare yourself negatively. Flowing from envy comes any number of other sins including rivalry, enmity, hatred and violence. It is especially destructive when in the context of community, especially amongst friends and family. When left unchecked, envy festers causing real and lasting damage to relationships and societies.
Yet what is extraordinary is that perversely, we live in society that is addicted to it. Advertising is based solely on this premise – it convinces you that you need to have whatever is being sold so that you can have a garden like his, a figure like hers or friends like theirs. Perhaps an even clearer example is society’s obsession with and treatment of celebrities: one day they are put up on pedestals as fashion icons and role models, the next they are being torn down for being too fat or too skinny. At the heart of this phenomenon is this simple sin, envy.
The real difficulty with this sin is that no-one likes to admit that they are envious, because it inherently means that they are inferior to another in some capacity. Given we are usually most envious of those closest to us, once admitting this sin to ourselves, it is also difficult to share. In the bible, the apostle Paul had many reasons to suffer envy. We know that people said that he was not impressive to look at, that he was most likely a terrible orator and that he suffered from a significant disability (2 Cor. 10:10, 11:6, 12:8). Not ideal credentials for someone charged with bringing the gospel to the gentiles! When Paul complained to God about these things, He simply replied “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. Therefore Paul writes, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me”.
There are three things to take from this reply in the fight against envy:
- Firstly, we need to focus on what is important for God. Often envy reflects the worth we place on worldly things – power, status, wealth or fashion, causing us to forget that God often works through our perceived weaknesses.
- Secondly, we need to understand that we are poor, vulnerable, naked and empty, and that anything we do have is a precious gift from God. His grace is sufficient; we do not need to add anything to it.
- Finally, we need to find fulfilment and contentment in Christ Jesus. These together form the secret to overcoming envy so that we may say with Paul, ‘I can do everything through him who gives me strength’ (Phil. 4:13).