Envy is a painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another. It also comes with a desire to possess the same advantage. While jealousy is an unhappy or angry feeling of wanting to have what someone else has. When a heart is evil, it becomes envious and speaks evil against another person. It is a destructive way that leads to death. Obviously, carelessness with our bodies breed sickness and if we allow our hearts to be corrupted with envy and jealousy, it will affect our spiritual life.

Envy is a dangerous virus. It blinds human reasoning, especially in the church. It destroys the cord that holds brethren together. Envy originated from the devil and it is so subtle that it can destroy the good part of any man. It is envy that led Joseph’s brothers to sell him to a strange land. Joseph sought for his brothers in the deadliest forest. He risked his life for the good of his brothers. He went to meet with his brothers in order to bring their good reports to his father, yet the brothers did not see any good in him and they sold him. They did so out of envy and not because they needed the money for their wellbeing because they were not poor.

They had no iota of compassion for their brother, Joseph. Envy made them to sell out their destiny helper into a strange land. They never considered the fact that Joseph was their blood neither did they consider milder option that would have preserved him. Joseph was hated for the coat of many colours his father made for him.

He was not better than his brothers, but they did not value or harness the gift of God in their lives. This is the problem with believers who are envious. They are oblivious of God’s endowments in their lives. And in most cases, their gifts outweigh their counterparts whom they are envious of.

As Christians, we should be wary the way we discuss people out of jealousy. All the children of Jacob were created to achieve greatness. None of them were a nonentity. Some of them were made to be captains of industry and owners of estates, but they neglected these and focused on Joseph, the dreamer. Those who envy others have special gifts embedded in them, but are ignorant of them.

Wrath and anger are not to be compared with the destructive effect of envy. Envy is capable of leading one to hell fire. It can also attract so much health challenges and even heart diseases. In the house of God, it can lead to various evil works, such as division and rancour. In the Scriptures, Cain slew Abel, his brother because God accepted, Abel’s sacrifice and rejected his own. His response at God’s inquiry of his brother’s whereabouts revealed the envy in his heart against his brother. Saul hated David and became envious of him because women praised him for his bravery.

Envy digs a grave that buries love in the fellowship. The fire of jealousy and envy destroys and does not build any fellowship. Further reading: Prov. 4:23; Acts 7:9; Gen. 37:4; 37:12-28; 33:10-11; 49:1-27; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Gen. 38:26; Prov. 27:4; 14:30; James 3:16; Gen. 4:5-9; 1 Sam. 18:6-11; Luke 15:28-30; Songs of Sol. 8:6; Matt. 16:19; 18:6-7, 15, 16,17, 18,19,20; Prov. 29:1; Heb. 12:29; Psalm 50:3; Col. 3:5-15. You can fellowship with us @ Kingdom Power International Christian Praying Centre, 65, Oluwatedo Estate, Isashi, Ojo, Lagos State. For details of our programmes visit: www.kpicpc.org. You can also follow us live on Facebook @kpicpc & YouTube @ kpicpc.

This is not the fire the church of Christ needs. Any church that is full of envy, jealousy, bitterness and all kinds of evils cannot make progress physically and spiritually. There is always enough room in the house of God for people to exercise their gifts. Therefore, there is no point to be envious of anybody in the church. Just endeavour to develop your gifts.

Further reading: Prov. 4:23; Acts 7:9; Gen. 37:4; 37:12-28; 33:10-11; 49:1-27; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Gen. 38:26; Prov. 27:4; 14:30; James 3:16; Gen. 4:5-9; 1 Sam. 18:6-11; Luke 15:28-30; Songs of Sol. 8:6; Matt. 16:19; 18:6-7, 15, 16,17, 18,19,20; Prov. 29:1; Heb. 12:29; Psalm 50:3; Col. 3:5-15. You can fellowship with us @ Kingdom Power International Christian Praying Centre, 65, Oluwatedo Estate, Isashi, Ojo, Lagos State. For details of our programmes visit: www.kpicpc.org. You can also follow us live on Facebook @kpicpc & YouTube @ kpicpc.