In our last meditation, we noted that equating life with material possessions is the reason some people drive themselves to the bone with work. Another likely outcome of such mismatch is envying those who have more stuff to show. If you keep measuring your worth against the financial and material fortunes of others, you’ll likely end up feeling inferior – and that easily breeds envy. It gets worse if the people who are better off are sinners. Our text cautions us against this condition. From here, we gather that sinners may likely post some advantages over believers in terms of material acquisition. And why not? After all, this is their world. A believer who is trying to compete with an unbeliever is pursuing a lost cause.

Those who give room to envy quickly lose sight of the unique gifts and opportunities they already possess…If you don’t overcome envy, it might become a great snare.

Those who give room to envy quickly lose sight of the unique gifts and opportunities they already possess. This also means they lose a sense of gratitude to God for His wondrous gifts. Envy will distract you. Instead of focusing on yourself you begin to show unhealthy concern for others. We are exhorted to shun envy for good reasons as it always tends towards evil. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery because of envy (Acts 7:9). The Jews delivered Jesus to Roman authorities because of envy (Mark 15:10). Paul also suffered persecution because of envy. (Acts 17:5). If you don’t overcome envy, it might become a great snare.