“Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the LORD. You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.” (Proverbs 23:17–18, NLT)
Some people enjoy “people watching”. They might sit in a park and watch the children play on the swings and smile at the memories of doing the same when young. They might sit on a porch and watch people on the street or observe a neighbor doing some landscaping. Some people watchers would love if friends stopped over to visit. They might hope the new neighbors would come over to introduce themselves. A few decades ago, people watchers enjoyed going to the malls and watching the shoppers and listening to the music piped in through the speakers. Nowadays, its not unusual for people watchers to open web cams to watch the surfers in Hawaii or the beachgoers at Key West.
Though “people watching” is a pleasant pastime for many, there are those who have taken people watching too far. They don’t watch other people to enjoy the scenery or the company or the visits or the beauty of the neighborhood. They watch other people out of envy. They want to see the new car that the neighbor just bought in order to compare incomes. The busybodies among them might watch the neighbors down the street hoping they get in another fight. Envious people watchers at work might take a coffee break hoping for the latest gossip to feast upon. A jealous woman might look another woman up and down, noting the worth of her clothing and the cut of her hair, in order to size up the competition. A jealous man may be found admiring a friend’s truck to see how he can “one-up” the friend with a new upgrade. The wrong kind of people watchers like to be “one-up” on the competition. They might get the newest iPhone on the first day of release. They might look to marry into the wealthiest of families. They love to have things like the fastest boat, the newest gadget, or the most successful children. All the while, these jealous and envious people watchers are constantly comparing their worth and value and potential against others.
When people get consumed with weighing themselves against others in an envious way, always wanting to have what another person has, always comparing material possessions or looks, a sinful lifestyle is the inevitable result. Envious people will be consumed in heart, soul, and mind, to outdo others. They will desire things that they do not have. They will relish having things others do not. Their whole focus will shift to what is around them. They will be wholly concerned with monetary worth, valuable possessions, and appearances. Instead of looking up to God, they will constantly be looking around for comparisons of worth.
It would be so easy for you to slip into this sinful envious lifestyle. It may start with a parent who compares you to another child. It might be that a friend had something you always longed for but could never afford. You might have grown up in a poor family. You might be insecure in your looks or self-worth. Somewhere along the line, you can slip into envy of another person who is smarter, looks better, has something you want, or is blessed with something you think you need. Green with envy, a person will wish for a nemesis to slip up, fail, get sick, or lose their money. Secretly, the envious person desires others to fail while he or she succeeds.
Josh and Jerry were twins. They were born to two loving and devoted parents. They grew up doing everything together in their small town. They boys were often chosen for special parts at church and in school, because they were very talented. They were two of the three wisemen in the Christmas program. They were two of the best tenors in their choir at school. They were both excellent wide receivers on the High School football team that won their regional game and placed at state.
When they were seniors in High School, Josh started dating Carrie. She was a cheerleader. They were picked for “king and queen” at the fall dance. When this happened, something changed in Jerry. He became obsessed. He started making derogatory comments about his brother at home. Then, he didn’t want to be seen with his brother. He didn’t even want to drive to school in the same car with Josh. Deep down, Jerry was envious of Josh and Carrie’s relationship. After one football game, Jerry blamed John for dropping a pass at a crucial point in the game. Jerry teased John mercilessly about it at home and made a big deal about it at school among their friends. Jerry started rumors about Carrie and John, hoping to break them up. Jerry even went so far as to tell Carrie to dump Josh. By the end of their senior year, Josh and Jerry could no longer speak to each other in a civil manner. The household was torn apart by their resentment toward each other.
When Josh married Carrie just after college, Jerry didn’t attend the wedding. For ten years, Josh and Jerry hardly spoke. When the holidays rolled around, the boys would make sure to only come home when the other could not. The tension ruined family gatherings. When Josh was hurt badly in a car accident, Jerry inwardly relished his brother’s suffering. To this day, Jerry is obsessed with hoping his brother is miserable. He is consumed with the desire that his brother fails. Is it no surprise that he no longer feels comfortable in worship?
The scripture for today goes one step further than the Ten Commandments. Where the commandment demands, “Thou shalt not covet”, this scripture from Proverbs 23 urges the believer not to envy or covet a sinner. If you desire to have what a sinner has, what does that say about God? If you are willing to compromise your relationship with God because of the desire for a sinner’s lifestyle or possessions, your relationship with God is no longer precious to you. In essence, the scripture is clear that your focus in life should not be on an envious comparison of yourself with others but instead focused on God. You need to “continue to fear the Lord” not to concern yourself with jealousy of others (Proverbs 23:17). Your focus needs to be on the Lord above, not on those around you.
Envy (covetousness) is a relationship-killer. It will drive apart friends and family. It will cause conflict. It will result in friction between you and God. Envy will cause you to focus too much on material possessions and never enough on godliness. Once envy takes hold, you will never be content with what you have or who you are. It will cause inner-turmoil and the loss of self-worth. In the end, you will lose focus on what is important. You CANNOT continue being envious and remain close to God.
So, do you often compare yourself to others? Are you jealous of what any sinner has in the way of looks or material possessions? Do you wish others to fail while you succeed? All these feelings will result in envy. All these will result in sin. The resulting insecurities that will arise from focusing on these thoughts will alter or permanently damage your relationships, especially with God. Be warned! The scripture for today even concludes that only when you are NOT envious will your hope in God be rewarded (Proverbs 23:18)!
Though “people watching” is a pleasant pastime for many, there are those who have taken people watching too far. They don’t watch other people to enjoy the scenery or the company or the visits or the beauty of the neighborhood. They watch other people out of envy. They want to see the new car that the neighbor just bought in order to compare incomes. The busybodies among them might watch the neighbors down the street hoping they get in another fight. Envious people watchers at work might take a coffee break hoping for the latest gossip to feast upon. A jealous woman might look another woman up and down, noting the worth of her clothing and the cut of her hair, in order to size up the competition. A jealous man may be found admiring a friend’s truck to see how he can “one-up” the friend with a new upgrade. The wrong kind of people watchers like to be “one-up” on the competition. They might get the newest iPhone on the first day of release. They might look to marry into the wealthiest of families. They love to have things like the fastest boat, the newest gadget, or the most successful children. All the while, these jealous and envious people watchers are constantly comparing their worth and value and potential against others.
When people get consumed with weighing themselves against others in an envious way, always wanting to have what another person has, always comparing material possessions or looks, a sinful lifestyle is the inevitable result. Envious people will be consumed in heart, soul, and mind, to outdo others. They will desire things that they do not have. They will relish having things others do not. Their whole focus will shift to what is around them. They will be wholly concerned with monetary worth, valuable possessions, and appearances. Instead of looking up to God, they will constantly be looking around for comparisons of worth.
It would be so easy for you to slip into this sinful envious lifestyle. It may start with a parent who compares you to another child. It might be that a friend had something you always longed for but could never afford. You might have grown up in a poor family. You might be insecure in your looks or self-worth. Somewhere along the line, you can slip into envy of another person who is smarter, looks better, has something you want, or is blessed with something you think you need. Green with envy, a person will wish for a nemesis to slip up, fail, get sick, or lose their money. Secretly, the envious person desires others to fail while he or she succeeds.
Josh and Jerry were twins. They were born to two loving and devoted parents. They grew up doing everything together in their small town. They boys were often chosen for special parts at church and in school, because they were very talented. They were two of the three wisemen in the Christmas program. They were two of the best tenors in their choir at school. They were both excellent wide receivers on the High School football team that won their regional game and placed at state.
When they were seniors in High School, Josh started dating Carrie. She was a cheerleader. They were picked for “king and queen” at the fall dance. When this happened, something changed in Jerry. He became obsessed. He started making derogatory comments about his brother at home. Then, he didn’t want to be seen with his brother. He didn’t even want to drive to school in the same car with Josh. Deep down, Jerry was envious of Josh and Carrie’s relationship. After one football game, Jerry blamed John for dropping a pass at a crucial point in the game. Jerry teased John mercilessly about it at home and made a big deal about it at school among their friends. Jerry started rumors about Carrie and John, hoping to break them up. Jerry even went so far as to tell Carrie to dump Josh. By the end of their senior year, Josh and Jerry could no longer speak to each other in a civil manner. The household was torn apart by their resentment toward each other.
When Josh married Carrie just after college, Jerry didn’t attend the wedding. For ten years, Josh and Jerry hardly spoke. When the holidays rolled around, the boys would make sure to only come home when the other could not. The tension ruined family gatherings. When Josh was hurt badly in a car accident, Jerry inwardly relished his brother’s suffering. To this day, Jerry is obsessed with hoping his brother is miserable. He is consumed with the desire that his brother fails. Is it no surprise that he no longer feels comfortable in worship?
The scripture for today goes one step further than the Ten Commandments. Where the commandment demands, “Thou shalt not covet”, this scripture from Proverbs 23 urges the believer not to envy or covet a sinner. If you desire to have what a sinner has, what does that say about God? If you are willing to compromise your relationship with God because of the desire for a sinner’s lifestyle or possessions, your relationship with God is no longer precious to you. In essence, the scripture is clear that your focus in life should not be on an envious comparison of yourself with others but instead focused on God. You need to “continue to fear the Lord” not to concern yourself with jealousy of others (Proverbs 23:17). Your focus needs to be on the Lord above, not on those around you.
Envy (covetousness) is a relationship-killer. It will drive apart friends and family. It will cause conflict. It will result in friction between you and God. Envy will cause you to focus too much on material possessions and never enough on godliness. Once envy takes hold, you will never be content with what you have or who you are. It will cause inner-turmoil and the loss of self-worth. In the end, you will lose focus on what is important. You CANNOT continue being envious and remain close to God.
So, do you often compare yourself to others? Are you jealous of what any sinner has in the way of looks or material possessions? Do you wish others to fail while you succeed? All these feelings will result in envy. All these will result in sin. The resulting insecurities that will arise from focusing on these thoughts will alter or permanently damage your relationships, especially with God. Be warned! The scripture for today even concludes that only when you are NOT envious will your hope in God be rewarded (Proverbs 23:18)!