Envy invites me to look at those around me and see what they have and then look at my own life and consider it worthless compared to theirs. It rejects the good life God has given me and obsesses over what God gives someone else. A path away from envy is the phrase “me too”. When we connect with others and openly mourn together what he have lost. When we share what we have lost and where we hurt and when we are open with each other we realize that all of us have challenges and blessings and envy begins to diminish and celebrate what each one has.
1 Samuel 8:1-9 (ESV)
When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
Matthew 5:1-2,4 (ESV)
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.