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Celebrating Superiority
- 03/30/11
- 15
Have you ever noticed that the sins you hate most may just be the sins closest to your heart? I hate the sin of envy, and I think I hate it so much because it is so often very near to me, just waiting to strike, to cause me to mourn when I ought to rejoice, or to rejoice when I ought to mourn. “Rejoice with those who rejoice,” Scripture tells me. It is rarely that easy. I wish it was that easy.
I recently began reading Assist Me To Proclaim, John Tyson’s biography of Charles Wesley, and was challenged with these words:
Charles had a meekness and unfeigned humility about him that was remarkable and attractive. His sermon editor observed, “His most striking excellence was humility; it extended to his talents as well as virtues; he not only acknowledged and pointed out but delighted in the superiority of another.”
To delight in the superiority of another. There is humility. There is envy slaughtered and laid to rest. I think I envy this lack of envy.
In his book The Call Os Guinness says this:
Traditionally envy was regarded as the second worst and second most prevalent of the seven deadly sins. Like pride, it is a sin of the spirit, not of the flesh, and thus a "cold" and highly "respectable" sin, in contrast to the "warm" and openly "disreputable" sins of the flesh, such as gluttony. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is the one vice that its perpetrators never enjoy and rarely confess.
It was Aquinas who provided a famous definition of envy when he suggested it is "sorrow at another's good." Guinness says:
Envy enters when, seeing someone else's happiness or success, we feel ourselves called into question. Then, out of the hurt of our wounded self-esteem, we seek to bring the other person down to our level by word or deed. They belittle us by their success, we feel; we should bring them down to their deserved level, envy helps us feel. Full-blown envy, in short, is dejection plus disparagement plus destruction.
Dorothy Sayers said, "Envy begins by asking plausibly: 'Why should I not enjoy what others enjoy?' and it ends by demanding: 'Why should others enjoy what I may not?'" Guinness provides a clear example of the truth of this statement, using the words of Sir John Gielgud, "When Sir Laurence Olivier played Hamlet in 1948, and the critics raved, I wept." These are startling words but ones with which I can identify. While others have raved I have often wept or have often wanted to weep. While I should have been offering congratulations or encouragement, too often I have been muttering and grinding my teeth, begrudging another man a blessing.
This envy is so dark and so evil, so competitive and so selfish. One of the most horrifying aspects of envy is that I am most likely to feel envious of those who are similarly called, equipped and gifted. Those people with whom I share the most, from whom I stand to learn most, are those I am most prone to resent. Guinness reminds his readers of Thomas Mann who showed that "we are always most vulnerable to envying those closest to our own gifts and callings. Musicians generally envy musicians, not politicians; politicians other politicians; sportspeople other sportspeople; professors other professors; ministers other ministers." Those whom we should help and support are those against whom we set ourselves, driven mad by their success.
Why can’t I be more like Charles Wesley, a man who could rejoice in the superiority of another. Was another man a better preacher? This was a cause to rejoice. Could another man write a greater hymn? This was reason to praise God.
I believe Wesley avoided envy because he had found the cure for this sin. And for that I turn to Charles Spurgeon.
The cure for envy lies in living under a constant sense of the divine presence, worshiping God and communing with Him all the day long, however long the day may seem. True religion lifts the soul into a higher region, where the judgment becomes more clear and the desires are more elevated. The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet. The fear of God casts out envy of men.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (15)
I think Guinness nailed it best of all: “Envy enters when, seeing someone else’s happiness or success, we feel ourselves called into question.”
The son of God died on my behalf… what more could I want or add to increase my self-worth? Certainly the things of this world have little value in that equation.
It seems that we try to bring ourselves up by bringing someone else down.
Righteousness in our world, our friends, our church is something that raises the whole boat.
David, www.RedLetterBelievers.com, “Salt and Light”
@DaveGood word Dave, it helps to look at things in that light.
As I survey the landscape of the Western Church and wonder at our ineffectiveness when compared against the great strides the Gospel is making in developing nations, it comes back to me again and again that a lack of humility is at the core of our ineffectiveness. We think too highly of ourselves. We too often seem to join the chant of those at Babel. We don’t think of our lives as fleeting. We don’t consider ourselves dust. And we rarely consider what other men have endured before we come with the quick judgment.
A fresh wind of humility would do the Western Church a great good. Please Father God, send it soon.
I guess that would be true, if you envy others, you would not be big on encouragement.
I am an encourager, and I do not struggle with envy, as much, but ask me about the sins I do struggle with. Not very encouraging, there.
Love your blog, Tim,God bless,Mary
America’s warped sense of equality and fairness won’t let us have a God who would bless another differently than ourselves. God must be the same and do the same for each of us. It’s not “Envy”, it’s the American way and it’s right.
Wow, this one hit home.
I’ve been acutely aware of my lust and slothfulness for quite some time, but I am just beginning to see the disgusting species of envy creep up in me. I quietly struggle more with the success of others than I am willing to admit; and anothers specific “spiritual” success rouses a level of distaste that is blatantly sinful in the Kingdom of crucified flesh.
Thanks for the roundhouse kick to the soul, Tim!
This is one I have truly struggled with over the last year as I have begun a journey to find a job or go back to school. All which have been dead ends so far . At the same time I have witnessed others I know personally, succeed in doing the vary thing I desire but so far for whatever reason , no doors have opened for me.
Then in it will sneak ,envy , whispering things like , I know you could have fulfilled that spot better , or why , they are not as capable as you in certain areas. Then in can produce anger towards the other person doing better. Instead of rejoicing , you almost silently hope for them to fall on their face. That is being brutally honest.
What has helped me is to see myself in the light of the gospel and serve others around me . Be it my family,neighbors,church or friends It takes the focus off of me , my ego and the blessings of serving others keeps others gifts or successes in balance with the bigger picture. I admit its not easy but it is a sin that can truly cause much damage to the soul and must be dealt with. Great post Tim.
This has been a searching post, and I appreciate the “brutal honesty” that has gone before me. As I’ve read I’ve been puzzled by paucity of women commenting and I wonder if this is an issue where the differences among the sexes come into play. Because I don’t think these vocational kind of sucesses are where women struggle with envy.
I am a writer, and I take my craft seriously. But I have never been jealous of another’s sucess, or even the skill they displayed in putting a difficult subject into fresh words. It takes my breath away, and I can easily applaud.
But as a mom of late bloomers I battle the green-eyed monster when I look at the success of other families. Especially in this upcoming season of graduations and weddings—when I’ve just recovered equilibrium after reading all those breathy Christmas letters. All those amazing accomplishments.
And I envy women supported by strong homeschool communities, living in quiet suburbs, carrying casseroles to potluck dinners with great regularity. I envy their networks.
And if they have great teeth, little feet, and hair that isn’t starting to resemble a Brillo pad, that just makes it worse.
But I am continually reminded by the Spirit to run my own race without looking into another’s lane, and take my thoughts captive, and rejoice with those who rejoice. So I consciously celebrate the milestones we do reach. We are all differently gifted, differently blessed. Deliberate and intentional thanksgiving and praise is wonderful discipline against indulgence in this crippling self-worship.
“Those people with whom I share the most, from whom I stand to learn most, are those I am most prone to resent.” -TC
“It seems that we try to bring ourselves up by bringing someone else down.” DR
Like…Rob Bell?
How painfully true! And envy has a near cousin- Schadenfreude:
http://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/schadenfreude-and-it’s-close-cousin-envy/
“Envy is resentment of someone else’s good, plus the itch to despoil her of it. Hence an envious conservatory student may feel privately delighted at the memory lapse of a rival during her recital performance” (Not the Way It’s Supposed to be, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.).
I think of love which at its heart is anti-rivalry. So among other things, Love does not envy. Easier said than done. Grace needed!
I understand. I am a fifty year old Christian woman who has NEVER been married or had children. My relationship with God is constantly tested, especially at church where a woman’s worth and role is centered on these relationships. Consider yourself blessed!
Thank you for vulnerable comments on this issue. They are much appreciated.
Some thoughts about the last few weeks with this Bell/Reformed outcry. I realize that many say it’s a doctrinal issue. I’ll accept that. But I do believe envy and lust for power play into it. This whole thing is a power play. It’s a battle over who will get to speak for Protestant orthodoxy. We Protestants say we don’t have a pope nor do we want one. But it seems we are trying to turn Piper or whoever is our iconic leader into a pope. We do slander and readily excuse it. We do hit below the belt as with Piper’s, “bye, bye, Rob Bell” or whatever he specifically tweeted. He needs to watch what he says. He cannot say whatever he wants even if he handles Scripture well, even if he is in a cranky mood. He’s done it before. He needs to stop. I do think Rob Bell has been slandered—somewhat out of envy over his powerful influence. People are envious of his influence. That’s a fact. They excuse their slander (which Jesus called murder) for the sake of protecting what may or may not be orthodoxy. It is interesting what sinful actions people will justify to protect a doctrinal ideology. For the sake of clarity—I am not a universalist.
“The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet.”
Great, great quote.
I find what is even more ugly than envy and pride, is false humility. A person may openly express thankfulness for gift or a knack that God has given them, and others will consider this to be arrogance or self-aggrandizement. Feigning humility is an ugly sort of pride.
“The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet.”
The more we understand this life isn’t about us the more comfortable we will become rejoicing in God’s work through others. When I look to get my value anywhere besides heaven (Spurgeon’s quote) I’m going to covet other’s gifting, skills, and talents.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about envy and encouraging me in this area!