Love Does Not Envy

Post date: Feb 27, 2017 8:30:16 PM

I remember the first time I read 1 Corinthians 13 as an adult--actually fully comprehending the extent of selflessness and sacrifice that it required--I also remember distinctly thinking, “This is impossible! I mean what human being could actually do this??! I mean, really!” Then, God in His beautiful grace led me to study it again, and breathed a gripping revelation into my heart. In the Amplified version of 1 Corinthians 13:1, it reads, “If I can speak in the tongues of men and even of angels, but have not love--that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us…” Do you see that? Love is that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us...We can only love in this amazingly generous and self-sacrificing way if we allow God’s love to flood our hearts, first.

And, so from that vantage point, let’s look at our theme for the month, shall we? Love does not envy. I must admit, of all the attributes of what love is and is not according to God’s Word, this one is probably the hardest for me to confront. Envy is such a weighty issue. Often one that leaves us feeling quite uncomfortable and ill-at-ease. It is defined as an excessive desire for something that you do not have; we can easily stir this up within ourselves by comparing what we may want but do not have with what others have.

"Envy is the art of counting another's blessings instead of your own."

--Harold Coffin

Yet, God, in His mercy invites us to bring all of our cares and struggles to him, including the not-so-pretty ones. There is a powerful promise in Hebrews 4:16 that says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” In my own life, I’ve found that it becomes much easier to allow God to help me confront hard things when I own them and then find the root of the problem. We commonly tend to look at the fruit in our lives (our behaviors and actions/reactions) and try to repair those things instead of taking the time to dig a little deeper to find the root.

“We can’t defeat jealousy and envy unless we deal with the disappointment and pain underneath it, and that only God has the power to take away that pain.”

When dealing with emotions like envy, we tend to focus on how we feel about others, taking the attention away from what may be going on in our own hearts. But, it is important to note that envy has more to do with our own insecurities, fears and disappointments than it does our reactions to others. When we make the decision to accept God’s invitation to bring our deepest and sometimes darkest struggles to Him is when his perfect strength and grace on our behalf is revealed. It’s from this place of authenticity and vulnerability about our weaknesses that God is able to free us and empower us to live and love the way He first loved us!

"When we can see our envy as a longing for wholeness, we can respond to ourselves with compassion and love...Grace comes to us when we begin to appreciate the good that is already ours, even if what we possess does not include every possible good in human life...As our experience of the good expands, so will our sense of gratitude and envy will start to shrink."

--Au and Cannon

This month, let’s be intentional about contemplating the beauty and extravagance of God’s love for us. Let’s grab those moments in each day, regardless of where we are, to quiet our hearts and become aware of His presence with us. And, as we take the time to meditate on His great love, my prayer is that we would allow it to flood our hearts, including all the wounded, dark places, so that we can be made whole. As we lean into the sobering and humbling reality of His love, I believe our ability to recognize and appreciate the gifts He’s given to us, and to celebrate rather than envy the gifts He gives to those around us, will grow.