3335) When I was in high school, I was not nice to a particular girl. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just a passing thing. Instead, I spent most of my high school years disliking her and, therefore, not including her in my world (not that she wanted to be in it). As I reflect on this, I could boil it all down to one reason; I was envious of her. In my mind, she was much better looking, built better and had the boys’ attention that I wanted. She was also smart and I felt I couldn’t compete with this. I wish I could change the way I treated her, but I can’t. There is something I can do, though.

Paul tells us in Titus 3:3 that envy should be a former behavior for the follower of God who wants to be spiritually mature. As I reflect on this choice, it’s easy to conclude that a teenaged girl’s feelings of insecurity fit the definition of envy, but what about the more subtle things? What about seeing someone keep the positive attention of a boss and you don’t? What about seeing how another couple interacts and feeling it’s not fair that you don’t have that in your marriage? How about seeing the things someone else has and feeling cross because you don’t have them?

For envy to no longer control us, we need to replace it with gratitude. What do I have to be grateful for? What things do I have that are more than just the food and shelter we need? What have I learned because I didn’t have the things I envied in others and how has it made me a better person?

Focusing on what we are grateful for will help put envy in the past.