The Envy of Man

Adam and Eve had two sons; Cain and Abel, both grew up to be productive men. Cain
worked the soil while Abel kept flocks. There came a time when both of them offered sacrifices
to God. Cain presented some of his fruits, while Abel presented fat portions of some of the
firstborns of his flock. It is recorded that God looked with favor upon the offering of Abel. It was
not explicitly stated why the Lord chose the offering of Abel over that of Cain, we might say it is
quite obvious that Abel's offering had so much value and Cain's seemed like an afterthought.
Nonetheless, Cain became angry, envious, and jealous. Cain chose to look at his brother with
detest who in fact had no influence over God's decision to accept his offering and reject Cain's.
Cain was given the opportunity to change but refused.

Sometimes in life people become envious and jealous when they see others doing better
and just decide to pull them down for no reason. Being jealous displays a lack of contentedness.
Jealousy comes from being self-absorbed, just thinking about your needs and desires with no
regard for that of others, wanting all the good things for yourself alone. You are never satisfied
unless you are all anyone talks about. As Christians when we decide to know the person of Jesus,
by the help of the Holy Spirit our minds are renewed, we no longer look at the faults of our
peers, but we seek to enrich ourselves and grow closer to him who redeemed us. We are called to
serve and not be served, willing to wear the armor of Christ, robed in his glory as a new being.

What can we do to save ourselves from being envious?

1. Shift your focus to the goodness in your life. Remind yourself of the countless reasons to be
grateful for the life you have been given at the start of your day.

2. Remind yourself that nobody has it all. Stop comparing your life with others. This is what
makes us human. Remember, nobody has it all. Nobody.

3. Avoid people who habitually value the wrong things. Remove yourself from a situation or a
relationship that only cares about what you can benefit from it.

4. Spend time with grateful people. Gratitude is highly contagious, allowing you to change your
own outlook at life.
5. Celebrate the success of others. Genuinely and practically, rejoice in the fortune of others,
experience happiness in others’ joy pushing all envious thoughts from your mind.

6. Be generous. Give your time. Give your finances. Give your abilities, talents, and skills. Lend a
hand to those in need.

Both jealousy and envy have held us hostage for far too long. It is time, once and for all, to
break free from jealousy & envy and experience a more fulfilled life because of it.

Ref: Proverbs 14:30, Mark 7:21-22, Job 5, James 3:14-16, Psalm 37:1-3, 1 Corinthians 13,
Matthew 7