Envious or Grateful
James 3:14-16
“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
I heard part of a Bible discussion on Christian radio that has kept going over in my mind. “Envy focuses on what you do not have but gratitude focuses on what you do have.” In the search for happiness, we must give attention to gratitude, and not be envious. The Bible Dictionary describes envy as a “painful or resentful awareness of another’s advantage joined with the desire to possess the same advantage.”
Our text implies that envy creates bitterness and the desire to glory and to lie against the truth. We too often attempt to justify envy and speak of how we deserve what others have, or have worked just as hard as they do, or “I am just as good as he is,” as if God has somehow failed us.
James says envying causes strife and confusion and opens the door to “every evil work.”
The sad truth is, we most often want the advantage, but not the responsibility or costs involved. Life is not about the accumulation of stuff, nor vain glory. Life is about inner peace and joy, which flows out of one’s relationship with God and like-minded others.
Envy focuses on what you do not have, so even when you get what you envied it does not satisfy nor fulfill, because you are focused on what yet you do not have. Envy has a force of its own and possesses the heart. It leads to all kinds of wickedness, strife, divisions and confusion. Life is not about “keeping up” nor “getting ahead.” “Pride goeth before a fall,” and when you are dead and gone, someone will have disperse all your accumulated stuff. None of it will get to heaven and none of it will make things better between you and God. Envy is a major sin, and listed among sins that will keep you from the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21), sins that reveal you as carnal and acting as mere men (1 Cor. 3:3), and is usually associated with strife and confusion. The admonition of Scripture is “from such withdraw thyself” (1 Timothy 6:5).
Learn to be grateful to others and to our Lord. Practice thanksgiving. Let your heart and life be overwhelmed by what you have received from others and from God. Begin with your salvation, then answers to prayer, deliverance from trouble and help in time of need, and try to write out you true expression of gratitude for each one. Then focus on things He has provided and write out your own words of gratitude and tell God how grateful He has made you. After all this focus on others and try to write out how others have impacted your life with help, love and encouragement. Write thank you notesto each one and tell them what they have meant to you and express your gratitude to them. Or call some of them, or visit, and express your gratitude face to face. I guarantee that when completed, this will make you one of the happiest persons on earth.
Remember that the path downward into sin begins with “glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful” (Rom. 1:21).