Envy and jealousy are destructive. They divide us, cause bitterness and make us feel inferior. We can envy other people’s possessions, circumstances and character. It can lead to us comparing ourselves with others and feeling like we’re never good enough. We can start to become ‘if only’ people. ‘If only I could be more like them.’ ‘If only I had what they have.’ ‘If only I was as popular as them.’ Envy isn’t just contained to worldly things. We can also envy other people’s spiritual gifts. But God has given us all gifts and we all play different parts in His kingdom. No gift is more superior to another; no person is more superior to another in the kingdom. ‘God has given…you…special abilities…use them to help each other.’ Instead of envying other people’s gifts, we need to focus on using our gifts to ‘help each other’ not to compete with each other. The biggest thing we’re all called to do is love. And love does not include envy. The Bible says: ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud’ (1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV). We’re also warned of the destructive nature of envy in Proverbs. ‘A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones’ (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). Fortunately, we don’t have to let envy and jealousy control our lives. Acceptance and gratitude is the antidote to the poison of envy. It’s about accepting that God’s in control, and learning to be thankful for the blessings that surround us and the gifts that have been given to us.

What now?
Write down the gifts you feel God’s given you. Think about ways you could use these to help other people.