Envy!

Now this is hard to admit, but I was once envious of a very close friend of mine! She seemed to have it all! She was gorgeous, smart, and sociable! Everyone liked her! I use to think; "No one can be this perfect," I'm sure she had flaws, but no one ever saw them. She was always there for people, you know the selfless type. If you needed something you knew you could call her. Whew! That had to be rough! Having to be like that all the time, nevertheless she was a great friend!


Well as time progressed I saw that I was a little envious of her success in life. We can all smile on the outside and act as if we are truly happy for people, all the while seething on the inside. I won't say I was seething, but I was definitely envious. I had planned my life to be a certain way. I wanted to have a successful career, the husband, the kids, the house with the picket fence and none of that happened for me, at least not in that order. But it was happening for her. It seemed as if all my dreams were becoming her reality! See envy is subtle, it doesn't come on you all at once. It sneaks up on you until it has full control and then you have resentment towards people for no apparent reason. Yes my friend was starting life out just the way I planned mine. She was getting the calls for the excellent jobs, and she was living in a beautiful community, she purchased a home, bought a new luxury vehicle. I mean it was like Valley Girls gone wild!! LOL!!


Well my little life was nothing in comparison to hers, or so I thought. I had gotten pregnant, wasn't married yet. Didn't have a job or a career for that matter. I did finish college, so at least I had that right? LOL!! I was feeling uber sorry for myself. I wasn't happy for her on the inside even though I smiled with her on the outside. I was there with her when she picked out her home and I was there with her through a lot of things, but on the inside I was pouting! I was feeling sorry for little old me. See that's what an envious heart does. It deceives you. It makes you think your life is miserable and everyone else's life is peachy! You never stop to think that everyone has problems and issues and life is not peachy all the time for everyone. All you can see is that your dreams are not being fulfilled and it seems as if the other person's are. Envy is a MONSTER and it must be killed. That dragon has to be slayed or else you will spend your whole life moaning, groaning and being discontent, always looking over at someone else's home and life. Never being thankful for that which God has given you.


Envy is a lot deeper than this little example that I have shared. Envy breaks the heart of God because what you are essentially saying to Him is that you want what He has given another person. Or that what He has given you is not good enough. That hurts God because His ways are perfect and what He has given you is His gift to you and is His best for you. Envy is a heart condition. Out of our hearts come these things. (Galatians 5:19-21) I honestly must say that being envious of my friend was God's way of showing me what was truly in my heart. See we women are good masqueraders! We can put on a face like no other. We can smile with you and then stab you in the back and go on like nothing ever happened. Women are very catty and majority of women deal with envy in some form. You can observe this in any situation and in any place. Go into a restaurant and watch how women look at other women, especially if a woman has a beautiful appearance or is wearing some beautiful attire. The other women GO IN on her. "Girl look at her! Now she does not have to be wearing all that makeup just to eat here at Applebee's" "Girl you see those shoes, they are so last year!" I could go on, but you get my drift. All of those comments are indicators of envy on the inside of you, deep down in that heart and it will come out in a moment's notice.


I said all of that to say this! I have been set free from that. I am no longer envious of anyone. I love that friend that I mentioned above and even though we don't talk as much now I really wish her much happiness in this life! I can really say that now and mean it! :) There is not an envious bone in my body any longer because Christ has put all of that under His feet and since I believe in Him it is now under my feet as well! Let us get rid of these evil roots in our hearts once and for all. The bible says that envy makes the bones rot and who wants rotten bones? Not me!! Allow God to show you the truth about what's down in your heart. Let Him expose you and then let Him cleanse you. He will do this, but only at your request and your yielding to His Spirit.


Cheers to being set free from all forms of evil!! :)





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