What Does the Bible Say about Envy vs Jealousy?

“Don’t envy a violent man or choose his ways.”Proverbs 3:31)

“A peaceful mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones.”Proverbs 14:30)

But let’s be honest, envy dates back to the Garden of Eden. Merriam-Webster defines envy as a feeling of dissatisfaction or greed for another’s advantages, successes, possessions, etc. ‘ That’s exactly what Satan in serpent form played when he said, ‘You will never die…and you will be like God, who knows good and evil. (Genesis 3:4-5) Eve wanted to know what God had, and that desire led to her destruction.

Envy raises its head again in Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-10). Cain’s wrath when he does not have the grace of God, coveting what Abel received, leads to disastrous consequences.

Jealousy and greed also appear in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:17) and seven things that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19the basis of seven deadly sins).

Where Does the Bible Say About Jealousy?

Envy is as common as envy throughout the Old and New Testaments. It appears in verses such as:

– Galatians 5:20: “Hate, Discord, Jealousy, Rage…”

– 1 Corinthians 11:2: “I envy you with pious jealousy.”

– Romans 13:13: “Debauchery, not disagreement or jealousy….”

– Ezekiel 36:6: “In my jealous rage because you have…”

– Joshua 24:19: “He is a holy God. He is a jealous God.”

– Exodus 20:5: “…for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

hold up. Those last verses mention that God is jealous. If God is holy and perfect, how can he be jealous and not sin? Many have struggled with the idea that God is jealous.

Can jealousy be a good thing?

Jealousy can be a good thing if it is not self-focused and is for the greater good of others.

2 Corinthians 11:2 Paul says, “With godly jealousy I envy you.” Paul uses the word pious jealousy because he longs for joy and deliverance from salvation in Christ. Because Paul knows that Jesus is the source of truth and life. Paul’s jealousy here is the Corinthian church’s deep longing for goodness.

Our thirsts and desires for goodness are a kind of jealousy that God has for us.

John Piper says On God’s Jealousy: God is ‘infinitely wise, infinitely good, and knows what is best for us. Let it be the joy of making.” When you like poetry Exodus 20:5 and Joshua 24:19 Say, “The Lord is a jealous God.” It means that we long to know God and return to Him. (John 10:10)

But what does it mean when the Bible speaks of God’s “wrath and envy”?Ezekiel 16:38) How good is jealous anger? Let’s take a moment to define anger. angerat its core, is an emotional reaction to something wrong that has been done to us or someone else.Genesis 1:27), we can feel emotions like God. The difference is that God cannot sin with emotion. We can and often do sin. God’s wrath, wrath and wrath are always justified and always holy. Mankind’s anger, resentment, and resentment are rarely holy or justified.

Take Jesus in the temple, for example.of Luke 19:45-48, Matthew 21:12-13and Mark 11:12-25, Jesus goes to the temple in Jerusalem. And we see tax collectors and money changers taking advantage of those who come to the Passover to offer sacrifices to God. Jesus got angry and drove the money changers out of the temple. Both of these angers were justified. Jesus’ wrath was also holy. Because it wasn’t for Jesus’ glory or retribution.

Commentary by Dr. Thomas Constable “Jesus’ literal cleaning of the house represented his authority as the Messiah to cleanse the corrupt nation of Israel. In so doing he acted as a faithful servant of the Lord and showed his zeal for the honor of God.”

Can envy be a good thing?

Jealousy has two sides, but jealousy is not a good thing. Jealousy and envy can cause similar grievances and injustices. However, jealousy is an inward focus on what is inappropriate, while envy is an outward focus on what the people around us have and don’t have.

In a Daily Hope article, Rick Warren explains that envy is a matter of the heart. Envy is a form of worship, so whenever you get jealous, your worship is misguided. It is, “I want it. I want it. I like it. I want to live for it.” And whenever the item is not a god, it becomes an idol. ”

Reading the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) Looking backwards, it is interesting to see that much of the first nine stems from the final commandment: greed and envy.

How do you distinguish between envy and jealousy?

In the Crosswalk article, Jessica Van Lokel “Jealousy involves three people: a person who feels jealous of someone else because of a rival. Romance, paranoia, fueled by misjudgments, illogical reasoning, and misunderstood trivia.” At the root of jealousy is fear. Whether it’s the fear of losing someone, missing out, or not living up to the standards you set for yourself.

At the root of envy is dissatisfaction and lack of appreciation for what you have. But envy doesn’t stop there. It becomes fertile soil for bitterness and resentment to grow. Jealousy may begin. Envy is when something takes hold and creates an idol from a goal or someone.

How can we guard against envy and envy?

In a discussion of envy and jealousy, Van Roekel further explains: Envy makes us worry that we will not get what we crave. When we move from focusing on our own shortcomings to thinking about God’s abundance, we overcome worry. ”

It comes down to choosing gratitude and trusting God. I know it sounds clichéd. If, nevertheless, we can “capture our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), we catch our thoughts and “don’t let the devil set foot” (Ephesians 4:27). Sometimes that means paying attention to the music we listen to or the shows we watch.

When I first got married to my husband, I was in financial trouble and was unemployed. This was the dawn of the Home and Garden Cable Her television show. I found myself infatuated with these homes and their grand transformation. rice field. It had a roof over its head, but no shiplaps or exposed beams. I had a kitchen to cook in, but I had laminate countertops. Instead of being grateful for what God gave me, I idolized the look of my house. Shortly thereafter, we removed the cable. In our case, there was too much room for jealousy, resentment, and envy to grow.

Alan Parr of the beat One way to combat envy and jealousy, he says, is to reject the “happiness lie.” To reject the idea that “only then will I be truly happy if I have only what I see others have”. I try to keep chasing things other than God.

Being grateful is the first step in preventing envy and envy from taking root. Much of Ecclesiastes describes Solomon’s observations about pursuing the world’s desire for happiness.he concluded Ecclesiastes 4:4“And I found that most people have a motive of wanting to succeed because they envy their neighbors. But this too is meaningless, like chasing the wind.” It’s not the rich life they want to give us.

Consider the parable of the prodigal son. The second son chased the world, until he humbly returned to his father’s house, where he found himself eating with pigs. The youngest son felt unfit to sit at his father’s table, but his father welcomed him into his home and threw a party for him. That is the God of the Bible. A father welcoming his children home. It’s someone you can trust.

Photo credit: Getty Images/francescoch