What is envy? It is a noun and a verb. Envy is desirously coveting something that somebody else has. Grudging and resentment can be synonyms. What is the way envy manifests in our lives? In spiritual or religious communities, envy could whisper, “So-and-so got healed but I didn’t…This group or denomination experienced healing and miracles but mine doesn’t…That naughty person who was mean to me is blessed with such a great job with plenty of money, while I’m here barely getting by. It’s not fair; it’s not right.” Rather than rejoicing at another’s healing or miracle and asking the recipient of that grace how it came about and joining them in faith for similar results long-term in their own lives, Envy is like a viper that with cold-hearted bitterness will fight the Holy Spirit’s healing ministries or other aspects about God’s nature or choices to bless others.
This is a poor and unnecessary response. There is an old phrase that says, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Rather than choosing to remain bitter about past loss and being envious towards people who are experiencing success, healing, blessings, miracles, freedom from negative habits and emotions, setbacks, etc., let’s choose to genuinely rejoice with those who rejoice. Let’s even learn from successful people who have had breakthroughs and overcome obstacles rather than becoming proud, bitter, jealous, or envious towards them.
And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
--Mark 2:1-12 NKJV
Why did Jesus say to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven you?” Have you ever heard the phrase “paralyzed with fear”? Guilt paralyzes a person from letting go of the past and moving forward in life. Fear paralyzes a person from stepping into new territory and facing one’s “giants” or “inner demons.” Shame paralyzes a person and weighs them down with depression.
There is an intimate connection between these three cortisol-releasing emotions (guilt, shame, and fear) and the body’s central nervous system. Before this man could be healed of his physical paralysis, a miracle had to occur. His paralyzing guilt, shame, and fear had to be removed by the forgiveness of his heavenly Father. That is why Jesus called him, “son.” After the man’s spiritual issues of guilt, shame, and fear were removed by the love, grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness of God, a miracle could occur. The lame man could leap for joy and walk out into newness of life when perfect love removed fear, shame, and guilt from his heart. See 1 John 4:18; Isaiah 35:3-6.
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?...He beholds every high thing; he is king over all the children of pride.”
--Job 41:1,34 NKJV
Who or what are “all the children of pride”? What is pride’s offspring? What does pride produce in a person’s life? What is birthed from pride and offense? When a person’s feelings are hurt and ego is wounded, what can result? If pride is like a seed that is planted in one’s heart and/or mind, then after that seed is watered by our giving it attention, nurturing, and cultivating it, then what are the roots that grow out of that seed of pride?
Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
--Hebrews 12:12-16 NASB1995 [emphasis mine]
What prevents a root of bitterness from germinating and springing up from a seed of pride? What nips pride “in the bud”? The grace of God crucifies (or kills) pride. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (See Proverbs 3:34f; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). It is by grace that we are saved from eternal torment, healed, and made free from every tormenting thought that hinders love. We can’t take any personal credit when we receive grace, for grace is the free gift from God, not something that we earned by our good behavior. That way only God gets the credit for our eternal relationship with Him, healing, blessings, and freedom. (See Ephesians 2:8-9).
What bitter fruit grows from a “root of bitterness”? Bitterness produces or cultivates unforgiveness, resentment, envy, retaliation, anger, rage, hatred, shame, unhealthy introspection, guilt, depression, fear, violence, gossip, slander, addictions, sexual dysfunction, toxic behaviors in relationships, narcissism, and finally murder, suicide, or death by disease (the physiological byproducts of excess cortisol drip that occur from stress, guilt, shame, and fear).
There is an interesting kind of “reptilian growth cycle” that happens in the invisible spiritual realm. A serpent (or “deceiving spirit” or “Satan/Lucifer” or “pride”) will produce a root system of bitterness and turn into a viper (“Leviathan” or “envy.”) If left unattended, this envy will grow and manifest in gossip and slander by accusing others. That is, the viper of envy evolves into a fire-breathing dragon of accusation. See Isaiah 14:29.
Pride is the seed that grows a bitter root.
Envy then festers and grows bitter fruit.
Bitterness has a growth pattern like that of a rotten apple tree. Its root system festers and grows deeper into unforgiveness and resentment. Envy is a synonym of resentment that can produce retaliation (the desire to “get even”). Unless a person changes their mindset by seeing oneself, others, and God through a lens of grace, love, mercy, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness (letting the matter go), then angry retaliation becomes hatred, then gossip, slander, physical violence, or even murder. Malicious gossip, bitter criticism, and speaking negatively about people are like the rotten apples that are finally produced by the root of bitterness that originated from the seed of pride (wounded and hurt ego).
Do you want to be free from pride, bitterness, envy, rage, guilt, shame, fear, depression, gossip, slander, negative attitudes, complaining, narcissism, and things like these? How can we practically receive freedom from these negative emotions and the bad habits and addictions they produce? How can we reckon ourselves dead to these things as we renounce them before God [and others]?
“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
--Romans 6:8-14 NASB1995
The following is a spontaneous prayer we can pray if it expresses our heart’s desire towards God:
Father, I thank You for loving me. Thank You for creating me in your image and for choosing me to become like You, holy and completely free from guilt in the way You look at me [see Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:22; Jude 1:24 (1)]. You made me in Your image, according to Your nature of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, humility, and self-control. [See Genesis 1:26f; Galatians 5:22-23]. You did not give me a spirit or nature that is intimidated by fear and you did not create me to remain paralyzed by guilt and shame. [See 2 Timothy 1:7]. Rather you created me to be more than a conqueror through Your Son, Christ Jesus. Nothing can separate me from Your love because of the covenant relationship I have with You because I have been united with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection from the dead.
Therefore I thank you that sin, guilt, shame, fear, bitterness, and pride shall not have dominion or power over me, because I am not bound by religious obligations in my relationship with You. Rather, I get to obey You with joy and trust because I am under Your unending grace. [See Romans 6:14] Your grace trains me to renounce and to say “no” to everything that hinders love [See Titus 2:11-14]. I renounce all pride, bitterness, shame, resentment, envy, retaliation, rage, hatred, guilt, and fear that keeps me from loving You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I forgive everybody who has hurt, wounded, and physically, verbally, and emotionally assaulted me. [If applicable, speak the names or descriptions of specific people and situations as they come to mind.] I forgive everyone who has spoken bad words about me to others. Also I forgive everyone who has discouraged me from dreaming big and expecting Your miraculous power in my life according to the desires and plans that you have in store for me in Your heart.
Thank You for creating in me a new and clean heart and for renewing a right spirit or attitude within me. Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and for making me more like You day by day. Thank You for your grace which never runs out on me nor gives up on me. If you sent Jesus to die for me when I was still a sinner, how much more do You look at me with tender compassion towards me as I return to You in response to Your love that never ceases to relentlessly pursue me? Thank You for your grace and love; I trust You and delight to do what You want to do. So tell me more; what do you want to do in my life, Dad? Thank You for showing me more what You are truly like as I seek you with all my heart.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen (So be it!)
For an outline of what it means to enter or enjoy a relationship with God through Jesus, see this blog post, “Knowing the God who Fights for You.”
Select references found by typing “blameless” in the search bar on Biblegateway.com (NASB1995).
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