"The Green Eyed Monster"

We have all probably heard of the “green-eyed” monster. No, not Shrek, the other one. It has many different names but the most common one it goes by is “Envy”. Being a book about life and godly wisdom it is not surprising that Proverbs talks quite a bit about envy. Jonathan Edwards defines envy this way - “Envy is a spirit of dissatisfaction or opposition to the prosperity or happiness of other people.” Proverbs helps us narrow down a particular group of people we as believers may be tempted to envy and it may surprise you.

Proverbs 23:17 “Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.”

The fact that Proverbs tells me not to do this means that this must be something I find myself prone to do. So I did a quick inventory of my heart and sure enough it was there, the tendency if I am not careful, to envy sinners. Now there are some sinners I don’t envy. I don’t envy drug addicts and alcoholics, or those whose lives or families are falling apart because of sinful choices. I don’t envy John and Kate and their eight kids, I feel sorry for them. But not all sinners are drug addicts or have their lives falling apart around them. Some are upstanding citizens, have nice families, good marriages, nice homes and good reputations. Some sinners have a lot of really nice stuff as well. Nice stuff, stuff I would really like to have! They seem to enjoy life. They get up on Sunday morning and never think about church. They have a nice breakfast, get the kids ready for soccer. Go to the game, come home and spend some time around the pool with the family and some friends and never give one thought toward God or church. They seem perfectly happy in this world because they are. This world is all they know. They are at home here, this is their turf. Yes sometimes it is easy to envy them.
But I am thankful for the honesty of scripture and for recording for us another man’s struggle with this same thing in Psalm 73 his name was Asaph.

Psalm 73:2-14 “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not h stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.”

Thankfully psalm 73 does not end with vs 14 and Proverbs 23 does not end with verse 17. There is more at stake than just this life.

Psalm 73:16-17 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Just read today about a famous celebrity who passed away. I'm sure there would be much about his life one could envy, but where is he now? Where will sinners be 1 second after they die. What is their future from an eternal perspective. For the believer the future is bright and filled with hope beyond the grave. It comes through salvation in Jesus Christ. Remember, we are not home yet. We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, the best is yet to come for the believer. We have a sure and certain hope, we have a home prepared for us, and we are awaiting our Father’s return for us so keep looking up. For the sinner this is as good as it gets, the worst is yet to come for them. We need to keep an eternal perspective on our lives. Life is not about the abundance of the things we possess. Here is the point of this little article -

It is very unlikely we will have much of a passion for evangelizing sinners if we are secretly envying sinners.

We will be home soon, so don’t envy sinners. When tempted go re-read Psalm 73, then seek to rescue sinners from the wrath to come by telling them the good news of Jesus Christ. Our relationship with God will bring greater satisfaction than any “thing” this world can give.

Proverbs 23:18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.