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Frank Viola | Beyond Evangelical
Official Blog of Author & Speaker Frank Viola. Digging below the surface and moving beyond the shallows in today's Christianity.
3 Things That Break the Back of Envy
The Peril of Measuring Yourself Against Others
Being provoked by jealously to pursue the Lord more in an appropriate way — no to show the other person up, but just because you want to be that close to the Lord also. Because HE is worth it — totally.
I agree with Lucas (first comment) In fact I think I would place it as number 1. Keep our eyes focused on the Lord and be thankful for everything good and bad. It all has a purpose to bring us closer to him and to be more like him.
Since it’s Love that does not envy, and Love is a Person, Jesus Christ, who lives inside of us, learning to constantly fellowship with Him in our hearts, is the escape. Our flesh will envy and do all the rest of the list …., cause that’s what our flesh specializes in. And our flesh is not going away. Continual fellowship with the Lord in our hearts, brings a constant atmosphere of inward gratitude, and in the presence of that envy can’t survive.” Walk in the Spirit and you will not fullfill the desires of the flesh”.
Amen!
I used to envy those who preached to larger crowds than me. But large crowds are like applause; it’s just a momentary thrill. Now I prefer to mentor individuals or have the total attention of a very small group…gives me lasting joy. Envy was always about who was more famous, more published, was a mega-whatever. But I was trying to seek and serve the Kingdom from the perspective of the world. If I find myself sinking to earth’s perspective, I have to spend some time in his presence, see that I’m being and doing exactly what pleases him, keep my eyes off others whose private stories I know nothing about, and find my joy above.
Hi Frank
Brother, thank you. This I am certain as you say is alive and well in all our hearts. Our pride decieves us until, as you say, something better than what we think we are comes along.
I am so grateful to God to expose this despicable thing in me, I still wrestle with this, although know that when it arises I am more aware of it now since He has exposed this in me bringing it into His light.
I appreciate the Blog and possible answers to displacing envy, jealousy. I embrace and feel released it freedom when I hear His grace in some the answers/blogs above…..Praise Jesus.
Well, it is incredible how the LORD gives. I was just texting a friend about this struggle and then I read this. Really helped.
I feel that being content with who I am is one of the greatest struggles.
Remembering that the One who created you knows you best; including what you can and cannot handle. This includes success and failure, as well as physical, spiritual and material areas of life.
He made each one of us according to His specifications and plans. Trusting Him as creator, trusting His divine knowledge of all things (especially our unique personalities) can break the back of envy.
Frank, do you find that many people want to be seen that bad?
I do, I see it more in Chrisians. I do not have a facebook, twitter, or anything like that. But it seems to me like envy is the worst in Christians, maybe because we eat off the tree of knowledge and of good and evil and think that in some ways we can prove that we have done it. I hope that one day we can see what all this technology has done to us, even though I am subject to it (not saying it is all bad…it is what it is). Anyhow, just my two cents.
This is good. Christ died to sin (Rom. 6). This is making me think about how Christ’s death dealt specifically with envy. There are many possibilities. I find this especially relevant because, more broadly, we have a growing climate of envy in our society (embodied by Occupy Wall Street). In this case, the sin of envy points at greed (perhaps a more obvious sin) and distracts us as it sneaks in the back door. Rather than side with one sin over another, I pray to know Christ’s death to every sin. Thanks!
Helping raise up others or promoting others is a sure help to kill envy in my mind. If our name is being promoted then pride is possible if others are being lifted up in our place then that is better. The point in the end I believe is that the kingdom of God expands and the name of Christ not ours is lifted up.
I really appreciated this article and one more thing I would add is that if we esteemed the lowest in the body of Christ then envy would be dealt with also.
“On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honour.” (1 Corinthians 12:22-23 NIV)
Frank, Thank you for your wonderful post!
I have a couple thoughts I would like to share. It is the individualistic mind, of that first man of old, who covets, who desired to “be like God.” To envy Christ’s expression in another saint could perhaps imply that there is a possibility of denying Christ within us, though most are unaware of this as an indication of such. To envy Christ in one another means we are discontented with Christ in us. When envy has seeped into our minds and hearts, resentment is sure to follow. They are one in the same, resentment is the continuation of envy. Envy wants something, and resentment lashes out and attacks, because of the desire which birthed envy.
It seems apparent to me, that all the dysfunction of the mind stem from the inherited pride of the “I” which desires the fullness of itself. It is the trickles of the deceiving mind, not yet fully renewed, that tells itself that it is separate or apart from Christ in others, looking at the self to determine who we are, instead of knowing Christ in His body, and as one body in which every part is vital for Life’s expression. This separative thinking blinds us to Christ and to the function within the fullness in His body. Let’s consider for a moment: Why would a saint be discontented with Christ in them? Could it be that someone who is going through this type of thing has yet to realize their own identity in Christ? Father, Son, and Spirit are The One Another, who are also One. May we all see Christ as He Is, that we may also know who we are in Him.
About (1) Embrace your gifting. I have a question for you Frank. I have still to find out what my gifting is. How can we know and experience our gifting when full expression of gifting isn’t generally taught in the church, at least in the denominations I’ve been involved in? The really gifted people are up front aren’t they???
As far as envy, I think you’ve hit a nerve. This I think is by far the biggest sin in my life that I struggle with especially when things get really tough and I want to run as fast as I can into someone else’s body, and I have someone specific in mind who has a lot of money and can go wherever they want whenever they want to get away from it all. Oddly though, because I don’t personally have the potential to do the very same thing, I always turn to the Lord in times of crisis instead of running.
It’s humbling to realize that what we covet as well as what we have is as good as dead when we hit the dust so it’s really a moot point in the end isn’t it. It’s best for sure to focus on what we do have even if by today’s standards it counted as nothing.
Thanks for that timely reminder.
Simple answer: Don’t worry about what it is, just function and share what the Lord gives you and follow the instinct to love and help others. Those who know us best know what our giftings are. But we don’t even have to know that information. What’s important is the verb, not the noun. The act of functioning, not the title. A person exercises their lungs before they know what a lung is.
Best answer ever!
I agree with Nancy. After all we can get so hung up on what our gifting is that we forget to just get on and live life to the best of our ability. Giftings can vary too through life and as we gain experience.
To break the back of envy, I would add: “Think!”. To envy is to covet something God has given to others, but not to us. It is the equivalent of saying “Wait a minute, God. You must have made a mistake, for I should be the one to receive that… Can’t you see I deserve it?” In other words, it is judging God’s sovereignty and wisdom. Moreover, at the same time we sit on our ego’s throne to judge God’s acts, we become blind to God’s grace in our own life. And that, like someone said above, is utter ingratitude. So thinking a little bit more (in the spirit), seeing a few inches more beyond our nose, and giving a little bit more credit to the Almighty would be a wise thing to do whenever old fleshy envy strikes.
Very well said Enduardo. I needed that smack upside the head. Not that I don’t know it but the reminder is clearly truth and feels refreshing.
I would say that your gifting is whatever you are operating in right now, and your call is right where you are now. Your call is to be and let Christ Spirit work. And He does that in so many different ways and seasons throughout your life
Frank,
I really appreciated yesterday’s and today’s posts. Thanks for writing on this needed topic:)
I’ve learned to remember that whatever I have passes through the Lord’s hands first, and therefore arrive in his timing, not mine. So patience is essential. Good things come to those who can wait.
Also, I’ve learned that experience is the best teacher. Someone may want to be a great teacher/preacher/writer/etc or have a relationship with the Lord like someone else, but everyone still has to walk these things out and learn them by experience over time (often a long time). So I guess I’m back to the patience thing again…
Spending time in silence with Him. I at times have to put down the scriptures and converse with the Word to find the condition of our relationship and if any unwanted fruit is beginning to spring up and then allow Him to prune.
If we understand what it means to be a “beloved son/daughter”, the opinions of people will really seem irrelevant. As Henri Nouwen pointed out, Jesus could resist the temptation of worldly fame in Matthew 4 because God’s words in Matthew 3 (“This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”) sufficiently defined his identity. When I struggle with envy, it’s always a sign that I’ve drifted away from the truth of these words, and a gentle nudge to return to them.
yep what Lucas said
the truth is that as long as we are alive, we covet – it’s in our flesh! We may think we have NO problem with this until someone or something comes along and… we just lust! This is why we continually need to depend on the Lord and come to Him personally in prayer, humbling ourselves before Him and asking for His mercy to keep us from coveting and from circumstances / things that may lead to this.
I like “the twist” though – “coveting” a spiritual attitude or attainments, aspiring to grow in life and obtain maturity in the divine life… We need to aspire to be not only better people but more Christ-like – even the overcomers which the Lord needs to terminate this age and bring in His kingdom!
I just wanted to say that one thing you mentioned yesterday, the Lord has been showing me over and over again in so many places!! Treat others how you would like to be treated, this golden rule can change your own life and show the Love of God in so many situations…
And on a more personal note your book From Eternity to Here helped lead me on this road to transforming the way I thought of so many things and what I was raised in!! I find myself telling people often that we really need to hit the Ctr + Alt + Del buttons on what we are so sure we know and ask God to reveal His Son to us. It will never cease to amaze me how incredibly Huge Jesus is and I thought He fit into the little story I had in my head! Everyday He gets Bigger!!!
I am just so thankful to men like Watchmen Nee, T Ausitin Spark, Frank Viola and the list could go on and on… People who shared what God showed them for others to SEE….
Pray for those we are tempted to envy. To whom much is given, much is required. That is a fellow brother or sister who needs our prayers of protection and authentic, ongoing fruitfulness in God’s sight.
Nothing seems to quench envy’s thirst in my life like gratitude. It is precisely when I am thankful for what God has given me that I am able to resist coveting what God has given them.
Excellent! Gratitude for what God has given us. Superb!