Envy Invites Disaster

By Royce Frederick

It is said that long ago the citizens of Thasos erected a statue in honor of Theagenes, a great athlete in the Greek games. An arch rival became so envious that he went every night and repeatedly hit the statue, trying to knock it down. He finally succeeded, only to be crushed to death beneath the fallen statue.

Job 5:2 tells us that “envy slays [kills] a simple one.” Envy destroys happiness, sometimes in subtle ways. A woman who was contented with a small house begins to lose her happiness when her best friend moves into a larger house. A man begins shunning a lifelong friend and co-worker, because his boss gave the friend a special honor. Quietly but surely, envy eats away at our happiness and health. “A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones” (Prov. 14:30).

Envy runs with a disgusting crowd of other sins. “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (Jas. 3:16). Envy can destroy our soul: “envy, murders, drunkenness...those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21).

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy...” (1 Cor. 13:4). How much better it is to rejoice at the good fortune of others!