In the seventh installment of the Street Smart series, senior pastor Jim White dives head first into the advice that James gives us in the Bible on how to overcome envy.
As he spoke, Pastor Jim posed an important, yet often overlooked question: “As we follow Christ, what must we make certain to do?”
He followed this by asking “what must we make certain not to do?”
He followed this by asking “what must we make certain not to do?”
Most people can answer these questions in the blink of an eye.
We must treat people with respect, we mustn’t lie or gossip, we must feed the hungry and clothe the poor, we mustn’t be greedy or covet our neighbor’s possessions.
We mustn’t covet our neighbor’s possessions.
Wait, does this mean I can’t be jealous of the new car my friend’s parents bought him for graduation or flirt with my roommate’s boyfriend while she’s doing laundry because I know if he wasn’t dating her he’d be dating me?
Yes. That’s exactly what that means.
Envy is a destructive force and it has the ability to ruin all of our relationships, including our relationship with Christ.
We must treat people with respect, we mustn’t lie or gossip, we must feed the hungry and clothe the poor, we mustn’t be greedy or covet our neighbor’s possessions.
We mustn’t covet our neighbor’s possessions.
Wait, does this mean I can’t be jealous of the new car my friend’s parents bought him for graduation or flirt with my roommate’s boyfriend while she’s doing laundry because I know if he wasn’t dating her he’d be dating me?
Yes. That’s exactly what that means.
Envy is a destructive force and it has the ability to ruin all of our relationships, including our relationship with Christ.
So where does envy come from?
James explains that envy comes from what is already residing within us.
In the second verse of chapter four he clearly states, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2, NIV).
Some of you are thinking ‘Seriously, James? I’ve never killed anyone and just because I ask for a car for graduation doesn’t mean I’ll be cruising in a Lexus on May 16th.’
But even if we don’t physically commit murder, the poisonous thoughts we allow to enter our minds about those who have what we desire can slowly spread to negatively affect every aspect of our daily lives.
We begin to make passive-aggressive remarks to our friends who make better grades than us.
We snap at our parents because they can’t possibly understand what our lives are like as they repeat “You’re beautiful just the way you are,” and “God made you in His image.”
James explains that envy comes from what is already residing within us.
In the second verse of chapter four he clearly states, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2, NIV).
Some of you are thinking ‘Seriously, James? I’ve never killed anyone and just because I ask for a car for graduation doesn’t mean I’ll be cruising in a Lexus on May 16th.’
But even if we don’t physically commit murder, the poisonous thoughts we allow to enter our minds about those who have what we desire can slowly spread to negatively affect every aspect of our daily lives.
We begin to make passive-aggressive remarks to our friends who make better grades than us.
We snap at our parents because they can’t possibly understand what our lives are like as they repeat “You’re beautiful just the way you are,” and “God made you in His image.”
Verse 3 goes on to say “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
This is worth examining.
When we pray, we are not to pray for a car.
We are not to pray for better grades or a hotter body.
“Ask and ye shall receive” doesn’t work like that.
When we pray, we are to submit to our Lord and Savior and pray that His will be done.
And if we have truly given over all we have to him, our will should mirror his.
Jeremiah 29:11 clearly states, ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Wouldn’t it make sense that the plans our Father has for us are better than anything we could even try to imagine?
If left to our will, our lives would be worse than the total messes we find ourselves trying to clean up every day.
By the grace of God, our lives are a little less messy, and if we believe his word we should accept and honor his will.
This is worth examining.
When we pray, we are not to pray for a car.
We are not to pray for better grades or a hotter body.
“Ask and ye shall receive” doesn’t work like that.
When we pray, we are to submit to our Lord and Savior and pray that His will be done.
And if we have truly given over all we have to him, our will should mirror his.
Jeremiah 29:11 clearly states, ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Wouldn’t it make sense that the plans our Father has for us are better than anything we could even try to imagine?
If left to our will, our lives would be worse than the total messes we find ourselves trying to clean up every day.
By the grace of God, our lives are a little less messy, and if we believe his word we should accept and honor his will.
So what is standing in the way of living these plans?
How can you rid your one life of poisonous envy?
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