Envy- a deadly sin!

Envy- a deadly sin!

In Galatians 5.26 the Apostle Paul writes; ‘Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another’.

But, of course, you and I would know nothing about envy- would we?

But maybe we do- why is it that our car pleases us UNTIL our neigh-bour buys a newer model?

Why is it that we were happy with what we got for Christmas UNTIL we heard what our friends found under the tree?

Why is it that our Facebook posts seem to be very exciting UNTIL we read what our friends have been doing? So much so that we have to spice up what we have written to make sure that we aren’t outdone?

So let’s be honest, we are by nature people who naturally eat, sleep and breathe jealousy. So what is the answer to this?

Simply this- to accept the truth; that before God we are all tiny, small people, who are big sinners and desperately in need of God’s forgiveness. This is a very liberating truth as on the one hand, we are all placed on the same level ground with nothing to our names to boast about. On the other hand, our focus is to be on what God, not our fellow man, thinks of us. For those who have received God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus- the great news is that they are to be envied above all others!

In this New Year may our boast not be in us, but exclusively in what God has done for us!