God's Glory Church

As our session on the Ten Commandments wraps up this week, we look at the last of them.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s(Exodus 20:17).

The Word of God is remarkable in that it contains His will for all areas of our lives. We as people have different inclinations: some people are more inclined to think about work and business, others think more about family. But our Lord is great and limitless, and His Word embraces every aspect of our lives.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor your neighbor’s work, nor your neighbor’s wife—the commandment speaks about all areas. And if someone thinks that they have not found their desires in this list, the last word does not give any chance for loopholes: “Never mind your neighbor’s”!
There are no small and big commandments, there are no important and unimportant Words of God. Violation of any of the commandments leads to tragic consequences. Here we can remember from Scripture Cain and Abel, David and the wife of Uriah, Ahab and the vineyard of Naboth. Here, and in many other places in the Bible, blood was shed because of the sin of envy.

And in our society, if envy grows like a cancer and captures the minds and hearts of kings and entire nations, then blood is shed and thousands of lives are ruined, just because someone wanted someone else’s wealth, territories and vineyards.

How is the sin of envy embodied?

It is expressed through slander, theft, and murder.

Are only secular people prone to this sin?

It is sad when envy destroys states, but it is no less sad when slander and envy destroy entire local churches and render them lifeless. And if we do this, then we are no better than those wicked rulers who, out of envy and desire to own what belongs to others, destroy neighboring countries!
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor fools, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

It turns out that slanderers will not inherit the Kingdom of God just like robbers and homosexuals! And just as they took away the Kingdom of God in their church, from their brothers and sisters, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from them.

But how can we resist this sin? Or how to heal from it?

The Bible gives the following ways to protect and free yourself from envy.

1. Находиться в Божьем присутствии.

A very revealing and instructive place on this topic is Psalm 72.
He tells about a man – a servant of God – that he envied the riches and carelessness of the wicked. These desires tormented him until he stood before God alone in His presence. Friends, we necessarily need to have such time every day so that envy of those who are more successful than us in some way, as well as other complex issues, find resolution in our minds.

2. Express support and encouragement to the person you were jealous of or who is more successful than youin some way.

Do this regularly, make it a habit, and soon you won’t notice how bitter thoughts and bilious intonations will disappear completely. Do you see someone being successful? Be sure to praise him. Do you think someone has not achieved success? Encourage him, tell him that everything will work out. A kind word and a friendly attitude are the strongest weapons against bitterness and envy. God teaches us this in his Word:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who mourn”(Romans 12:15).

Many people find it more difficult to rejoice with those who rejoice than to cry with those who weep. Feel sorry for the problem – please, sympathize – as much as you like, but not a single kind word in happy times. Some fear that if they say a lot of good things to their unbelieving relatives, they will not be saved. But let’s not imitate that hero who “is always eager to save someone”: saving another at the expense of one’s soul is not only a spiritual, but sometimes also a medical problem.

Or maybe the reason our relatives are not saved is because they see too much negativity from us? An adopted orphan is not taught proper table manners. So the people of this world are orphans without God. There is not much love in constant preaching and criticism.

3. Protect yourself from envious and slanderous people.
“Do not be deceived: bad associations corrupt good morals”(1 Corinthians 15:33).

If you give up jealous and angry talk, God will bless you with better communication. If you give up wanting someone else’s happiness, God will definitely give you yours. He who does the Word will be blessed! Amen.

Yulia Koltukova.