6th February 2024

6th February 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ecclesiastes 4v4)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Envy isn’t a characteristic that we should seek to cultivate. What is envy? It rears it’s ugly head when we consider our neighbour and desire everything he has, it causes us to jealously seethe at the seemingly endless talents of another and envy shows it’s teeth when we are prepared to step over a rival so that by any means we can move ahead.


Solomon believed that much of our frustration in work comes from envy of our neighbour (v4). I wasn’t a Civil Servant for very long but I can remember the summer that my office was sent into turmoil by a fresh round of promotions. One of my colleagues did not receive a good report from his line manager thus ending his hope for a promotion. Heated discussions took place only for the individual to point at a colleague at the other end of the room and shout “If he’s getting promoted then so am I!”


There’s a wee bit of that attitude in us all. We like to believe we’re indispensable, our employer would surely suffer without us and our colleagues couldn’t cope without our presence in the office. All of this stems from an envious spirit. We judge ourselves against our neighbour and because we often come up short, envy finds fertile ground to grow in our hearts.


I once sang a very simple song in Sunday school about little rabbits. “Get them out! Get them gone! All the little rabbits in the fields of corn. Envy, jealousy, malice and pride. These must never in my heart abide.” It wasn’t a particularly good song but it did have lots of truth. 


Envy is a joy stealer, envy is a heart hardener, envy grows only bitterness and envy cannot be allowed to abide in the Christian’s heart. The Lord Jesus didn’t complain about His humiliation as He left the glory of heaven for the indignity of a cross. Paul would write “And being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2v8).


Humility is the opponent of envy. Envy seeks to take everything our neighbour has whilst humility puts our neighbour first. Therefore brothers and sisters, the little rabbit of envy must be chased from our heart. We need the means of grace and the work of the Holy Spirit to cultivate humility in us rather than envy. In this manner we keep the moral law which commands us not to covet anything that belongs to our neighbour (Exodus 20v17).


This is hard work but it is Gospel work. The words of the Apostle remain true “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2v3-4). May it be so as we respond to the humility and grace of Jesus.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q61 What is forbidden in the fourth commandment? The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
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