Yo Wassup!

Isn’t snow a wonderful thing? So pretty to look at. Also, a lot of it has a way of bringing us closer together… in the cabin (so to speak). My tardiness is because my draft was on my work PC. And without further delay… let’s look at love some more!

So you know now that love IS patient and kind, right? The Holy Spirit, writing through the Apostle Paul, also tells us what love IS NOT…

1^st Corinthians 3:14b
…Love does not envy…

So love IS NOT envious.

Keep in mind that the love Paul is talking about is an action word… a verb. Love does things and does not do other things. Love does good things and does not do evil things. (Remember the treasure analogy from last week?)

Therefore envy is evil.

Okay… so now we need to look closer at what envy really is. The ancient Greek word is zēloō, and the definition is:

1) to burn with zeal

a) to be heated or to boil with… hatred, anger

I am fairly certain the word “zealot” comes from zēloō. I think it is also helpful to look at Merriam-Webster’s definition for envy…

1 : painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage

Ahh, now the meaning is coming into clear focus, huh? I am sure all of us have experienced envy at least one time in our life. In high school, I envied the guy who dated the prettiest girl in school. Oh yeah, I definitely wanted to possess what he had. As a high school rock and roller, I envied the band that had the largest following. I most-definitely wanted the cheering crowds and subsequent hallway fame.

But look closer… With envy comes self-centered pride. You see, in my pride, I came to resent the popular high-school rock bands, convincing myself they were untalented and simply lucky… untalented compared to me, and lucky as only fools could be… See how ugly my thinking was in this example? Who am I to be so puffed up and conclude that the Providential hand of God is “luck”? My friend, there is no such thing as luck. Anyhow…

Envy is not loving but hateful. See how envy expresses itself…

Genesis 4:5b
And Cain was very angry and his countenance fell. (And what did Cain eventually do to Abel?)

Genesis 16:4b
And when she (Sarah) saw that she (Hagar) had conceived, her (Sarah’s) mistress became despised in her (Sarah’s) eyes. (And what did Sarah eventually cause to be done to Hagar?)

Genesis 37:4
But when his (Joseph’s) brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. (And what did Joseph’s brothers eventually do to him?)

John 11:48
If we (chief priests and Pharisees) let Him (Jesus) alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. (And what did they eventually do to Jesus?)

Envy IS NOT loving is it? Rather than seek the best for someone even at our own disadvantage, our envy seeks to remove them and take what they have for ourselves. See now the wickedness of envy! If you see envy in your thoughts toward your “loved” ones, however subtle and secret it may be, repent of it now! Starve that cancer that hinders true love. Let love prevail!

**Comments/ questions/ testimonies/ objections most encouraged!

Dear Lord, thank you for this time to consider Your word and Your ways. May our thoughts, words, and deeds bring You glory… and glory to You alone. –Amen

Peace,
Jim