Quotes about Envy

We all desperately want something that we see the Lord giving to other women. We see Him blessing them in the very areas He's withholding from us. And while these other women may not be obnoxious like Peninnah in their reminders of their blessing and our lack, it's increasingly painful each time we see a reminder. We look at them, and we feel set aside.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:14 — 16)

comparison steals celebration. And a life void of celebration is a life empty.

We get empty when we park our minds on comparison thoughts and wallow in them.

Pray for people who are in a better situation than you are, who are more gifted than you are, or who currently have wonderful circumstances coming their way. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Pray for someone else's promotion, someone else's pregnancy, someone else's healing. That crucifies envy.

Envy first brings depression: "My life isn't as good as yours." Then comes offense: "Why should you have what I don't have?" Which degrades into hatred.

They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool.

There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance that imitation is suicide that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion.

Your levellers wish to level down as far as themselves but they cannot bear levelling up to themselves.

Envy, bleating 'I'm as good as you', is the hotbed of Fascism.

And oh, Fair plant, said he, with fruit surcharged, Deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet, Nor God, nor Man? Is knowledge so despised? Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste? Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold Longer thy offered good; why else set here?

Gratitude is not something we give to God because he wants to make sure we know how much trouble he went to over us. Gratitude is the gift God gives us that enables us to be blessed by all his other gifts, the way our taste buds enable us to enjoy the gift of food. Without gratitude, our lives degenerate into envy, dissatisfaction, and complaints, taking what we have for granted and always wanting more.