The Cost of EnvySample

Assessing Motives

Accurately detecting why we do what we do is never easy. The Bible tells us that even the smartest among us struggle to perceive ourselves rightly (Rom. 2:1). Self-analysis is, by definition, subjective.

We need the light of Biblical truth to inject some objectivity into understanding our internal motivations. But I hope that even at this point, you have already been able to trace some of your previously inexplicable resentment, sadness, frustration, or discontentment to the sinful root of envy.

I pray that it is already somewhat easier, after a little reflection and self-appraisal, to see that the bitterness toward your more successful or more attractive friend is fueled and sustained by the envy residing in your heart. Perhaps a little light on this subject has helped you to see that your snarky comments about the neighbor kid’s college scholarship or the unexpected internal pain of just scrolling through the vacation photos of the woman at church with the perfect teeth is another indicator that the vicious evil of envy has set up shop in your soul.

And if you are a guy, let me speak directly to you for a minute. I have heard some men say that envy is a “women” problem. They say, “I don’t envy others; I just go about my daily work.” I trust that if you have read this far, you know better. But hearing that statement just this week reminded me of Solomon’s insightful assessment of what he diagnosed in his male-dominated workforce. God’s Spirit utilized him to write, “Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind” (Eccl. 4:4). This sweeping statement cannot be divorced from the biblical affirmation that work itself is a pre-fall gift of God. In other words, while all work after Genesis 3 is certainly infected by the consequences of sin, skill and toil are necessary assignments for everyone, and can be engaged in without envy. Solomon’s broad appraisal of men’s motives speaks to the pervasive societal problem that plagues hearts—while not without exception, certainly “all” without distinction.

Most workers, craftsmen, scholars, artisans, and pastors pursue their daily work with rivalrous attention to their colleagues, competitors, and challengers. It may be harder to detect when you are getting the job done, pleasing your boss, and sensing job security. But God wants us to consider that sin might be motivating more of what we do than we might first imagine. Think about it. From picking a college, a major, or a profession, every human is prone to do so with influences from some deep-seated and rarely acknowledged jealousy, covetousness, and yes, even envy. This verse from Ecclesiastes helps us see that people from every walk of life tend to make business decisions, craft agenda items, put together marketing plans, and set sales goals with an envious eye on the other guy.