Pastor Joe Hite

Proverbs 23:17-18 NLT

¹⁷ Don’t envy sinners,
    but always continue to fear the Lord.
¹⁸ You will be rewarded for this;
    your hope will not be disappointed.

Psalm 73:1-3 NLT

¹ Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those whose hearts are pure.
² But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
    My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
³ For I envied the proud
    when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

Psalm 73:20-26 NLT

²⁰ When you arise, O Lord,
    you will laugh at their silly ideas
    as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

²¹ Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
    and I was all torn up inside.
²² I was so foolish and ignorant—
    I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
²³ Yet I still belong to you;
    you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    leading me to a glorious destiny.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    I desire you more than anything on earth.
²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
    but God remains the strength of my heart;
    he is mine forever.

How to understand envy

First of all, envy is wanting somebody else’s life.

Secondly, With envy we don’t just want other peoples’ lives; we resent their lives.

Why should we deal with envy? 

First, because it hides itself.

Secondly, because it sucks joy out of your life.

Third, envy poisons your ability to enjoy the life you have.

Fourth,“If you understand what you envy, you’ll understand your own heart.”

Joseph Epstein 

Where do we take envy? 

First, Look up

Second, Look A Head