The saying “Your eyes are green with envy!” is a very true statement. Sometimes no matter the biological color of our eyes they turn to a not so lovely shade of green.
Why is it that, all of a sudden we look at the prosperity or fame of another and become uneasy about it?
Envy is described in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary as a verb. It means to feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another’s prosperity; to fret or grieve one’s self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.
Wow this is an action that we do!
He also defines envy as a noun. Pain, uneasiness, mortification or discontent excited by the sight of another’s superiority or success, accompanied with some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, and with pleasure in seeing him depressed. envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess.
Wow when we begin to be envious of someone else, it becomes who we are.
I think of none other than Saul in 1 Samuel 18.
And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
1 Samuel 18:9
In chapter 17, David had just fought and defeated Goliath. It was a great victory in Israel. What rejoicing, singing and praising was going on! Can you imagine? Here a young boy who isn’t even supposed to be at the battle shows up bringing food for his older brothers. Lo and behold, God uses him to fulfill His will for Israel! Oh Saul was thankful for the victory but he wasn’t glad for how God brought it. He began to look at David a little differently. If you read the next few chapters you can see how it changed who Saul was. This green eyed monster destroyed his life and how God was using him.
Sometimes my friends we become like Saul more than we care to admit. We first begin to “eye” someone God is using or blessing and we think that we deserve this more because _____________________!!! (you fill in the blank)
Envy is a silent killer.
It first begins by “eyeing” someone. We begin to look at them differently with uneasiness. We start looking intently into their lives to find fault as to why God shouldn’t have blessed them that way. We begin to lift ourselves up in that someone else is stealing what we believe to be rightfully ours. I mean hey who deserves it more than I do? It’s true that when this monster bites us, our eyes begin to show its ugliness.
When envy is left undealt with, it will change who we are.
We will begin to find fault with others and start to tear them down in the eyes of another.
We will begin to promote our own selves and our “works” for the Lord.
If left uncorrected, we can even begin to bring hurt unto the ones we are so envious of.
You may say, no I would never do that. But my friend, “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” Proverbs 27:4 tells us that envy is so powerful we won’t be able to stand against it. Just look at Saul and how he began to throw javelins at David. He sent him into battles so he would be killed. He chased after David to slay him. If you think envy isn’t that dangerous, you need to think again. Many good and faithful men have been wrongfully hurt all because someone had the green eyes of envy looking at them.
The only way we can overcome this green eyed monster is to….
See ourselves as God sees us. We are nothing within ourselves and nothing without Him. He sees us either as a sinner on our way to a devil’s hell or He sees us as His Child WHO HE paid the price for., We are NOT our own. So there is nothing good in us. He sees us as an empty vessel that He longs to fill.
See others as His vessels. We all are empty vessels needing the water of His Word to fill us. Some standing at the water Spigot getting filled have no control over how much He chooses to pour into them. They are just willing and open to what HE desires. Be that same way. Don’t look at the way God is filling their vessel. If you are looking at the Spigot your eyes can’t be green with envy over your neighbor’s vessel.
See God as the He truly is. He gives to all men freely. He isn’t a respecter of persons. He longs to fill you and use you too. He isn’t going to force His Spirit upon you. Make sure your vessel is empty of you. When we are out of the way, More of Him can fill us. We should only want Him seen in our lives anyway. It isn’t about us. When we look full in His Wonderful Face, the things of earth grow strangely dim in the Light of HIS glory and grace.
When our eyes are green with envy, people around us see it. It changes our countenance, our behavior and our ability to think clearly. It also repels people. It’s like a stinky odor sending those we love away from us. My friends, if your eyes have began to change colors, ask the Lord to forgive you and restore your eye’s color back to their original beauty.
There is nothing more beautiful than looking into someone’s eyes and seeing the beauty of the Lord looking right back at you!
