“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:17-18).
To hear some people explain it, they cannot prevent envy in their heart. It is an inevitable outcome of certain situations.
That is a lie.
Envy, like lying, is a choice. When its temptation arises in your heart, God expect you to resist it—preventing its malicious presence in your heart, not excusing it. The temptation of envy can be aborted before it gives birth to sin.
To prevent the existence of this spiritual cancer in your heart, Solomon offers three powerful antidotes;
- The fear of the Lord. God says: Envy is sin. God says: Envy is preventable. The fear of the Lord says, “God said it. That settles it.”
- The certainty of the hereafter. Choices made today have eternal ramifications. Not only does envy mar and destroy the here and now, this work of the flesh will cause every one of its possessors to not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21). The second death is one of the certainties of the hereafter.
- The opportunity of realizing your hope. Another of the certainties of the hereafter is eternal fellowship with God. What a birthright! Esau foolishly traded his birthright for a single meal. Like Esau, the envious profanely exchange their eternal inheritance for a deadly spiritual cancer. What folly it is to be envious.
“Do not let your heart envy sinners!”
