Psalm 73 : Overcoming EnvySample

Overcoming Envy Requires an Eternal Perspective

In the previous days, we saw how envy robs us of our contentment and can lead us into moral compromise. Today we will look at how we can overcome the problem of envy by gaining an eternal perspective.

What helped the psalmist turn away from his envy was to shift his perspective from a temporal one to an eternal one. We are not meant to live as if this life is all there is, we are meant to live keeping eternity in mind. He was reminded of this truth when he went to worship God in the temple. He says in verses 16-17, "But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end." and later in verses 23-24, "Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory."

He was reminded that a day would come when both he and the people he envied would die. And at that time, all that they had accumulated on earth would be of no use to them. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:7-8, "We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." When we die, we can't take anything with us. Therefore, there is no point in accumulating more than we can use in this life. As long as our needs are met, it is foolish to allow envy or covetousness to make us unhappy.

In Luke 12, a person came to Jesus with a complaint that his brother hadn't given him a fair share of their inheritance. What he wanted was for Jesus to get his brother to give him his share. Instead, Jesus tells him, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15). Jesus then went on to share a parable about the foolishness of amassing wealth beyond our needs when we really don't know how long we have to live. You might die tonight and then what would be the point of having fought with your brother about the inheritance? He concluded by saying that it is more important to be rich towards God than accumulating riches for oneself.

Similarly, in Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus taught, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The parallel passage in Luke explains how we can store up treasures in heaven. It says, “Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail…" (Luke 12:33-34 ). This basically means that instead of looking at those who have more than we do and being driven by envy to add to what we have, we look at those in need and are willing to use whatever we have to help them. Luke is not saying that we should keep nothing for ourselves. What he is saying is that rather than focusing on what we don't have, we focus on what we do have and see how we can use that to be a blessing to others. And he says that when we do that, we are storing up for ourselves treasure in heaven even if we don't become the richest people here on earth.

Do you spend more time thinking about what you lack or about how you can help those less fortunate than you?