The Root Causes and Effects of ENVY|-|Rex Chimex Blog

Words of Bishop Ephraim Ikeakor -: - Written down by – Muoka Chibuzor

Envy is a companion of success.

People envy you because you are doing something. And I want to enlist factors that can propagate the misnomer ENVY in our lives.

Root causes of Envy

1. Comparison attitude

When you begin to compare yourself with other people, when you begin to measure yourself with people around you. You may feel that they are better than you and at that, you begin to envy them.

2 Corinthian chap 10 vs. 12. We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

So when we begin to compare ourselves with ourselves, we are not being wise. Paul warned us to refrain from such unchristian attitudes. Comparison attitude is not only unchristian but also a terror in the heart and as destructive as any physical – emotional problem known today.

So once you compare yourself to others, you may look down on yourself and envy others, because in comparison you do not feel as capable, intelligent, well positioned, fortunate, powerful or rich.

You always feel inferior, comparison generates envy among people, especially of common interest. That one things you should know.

2. Unhealthy Competition

Where there is spirit of competition, envy is invoke for its activities, although there is healthy competition. A competition is healthy when people are competing not to destroy another or to stop the success of others. But the competition is to better themselves and also to do things in a right way.

So when you are competing with people and you feel that you should compete with somebody, then you will end up generating envy into your life.

Competition does not only generate envy, but it makes it grow, your attitude towards it determines the level you can accommodate it in your heart.

When it is so serious in your heart, you will surely begin to nurse ill feels against somebody’s success and you know that it’s killing you.

It’s very dangerous, you will not stop the person from succeeding, and you will end up disturbing your heart when the person is succeeding.

3. Unprecedented Prosperity

When somebody begins to prosper, there is that tendency for him to be envied. Don’t feel bad that you are being envied because you are succeeding, there is something you are doing, and people are seeing it.

And since they are seeing it, they will look away to stop you from succeeding and the only way they can do it is to envy you. So success or prosperity cannot be detached from envy. You can’t!

Genesis chap 26: 12 – 14. Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.

Nobody can envy you when you are not prospering, when you are not doing something people can see. When you are not being well positioned in the society, nobody can envy you. From the passage above, you will discover that Isaac had unprecedented prosperity that the people of the land envied him.

He was envied because he became very prosperous in the land. Even as a stranger, when you are lifted, you become a point of reference for success and people who least expected will envy you.

A man cannot climb the hill of unprecedented prosperity without having envy as a companion. Know It!

So when you are being envied, know that you are doing something. They are fulfilling this when you become an object of discussion, criticism and blackmail. And through this, those who do not know your worth will know. Therefore, nature has it that they must do their work of introducing successful people.

Achievers and successful men receive envy as a package. While failures distribute them. If you are distributing, on the habit of envying people, you are just ending up publicizing them, you end up telling people their worth.

4. Common Interest

When 2 or more people are pursuing the same goal, or have the same vision, it becomes an avenue to manifest envy. It manifest in the following ways:

- Among colleagues in political settings

- Ecclesiastical order

- Business partners

- Same family relations

This is as a result of fulfilling our ego by trying to obtain more attention or recognition from the populace, subordinate, followers, customers or members of the household.

You want to just attract attention and you know that other people are attracting more attention than yourself, you begin to envy them.

And when you are pursuing the same goal, you have the same interest, you are doing the same business or in the same political setting, the same party, and you are vying for a position another person is vying for, these are the things that can cause envy.

Common interest creates room for competition, position struggles, self – identification and introduction. It seeks for cheap popularity, where you see struggle there abide common interest.

It is only a fool that will struggle for what he’s not interested on. For instance, if you are not interested on leadership, why do you struggle for position?

We see it in the life of David and Saul, when people were singing how David killed ten thousand and Saul killed a thousand, you discover that they started envying David.

1st Samuel chap 18 vs. 7-9, you discover that the root cause of David’s envy was as a result of the way people were praising him for doing better than Saul. From the time David was recognized more than Saul, Saul became green with envy of him. Saul s interest was in his kingdom, he felt the enthronement of David will kill his image in Israel’s kingdom.

The same happened to Jesus and the Leaders of the synagogue. They saw that the effect of his message cannot be equated with theirs, all the attention was shifted from them to Jesus, they became envious of him, seeking to kill him.

When the people you have the same common interest with, discover that they could not do what you are doing, they will envy you.

5. Occupying a Strategic position

When you are occupying a strategic position, know that envy must materialize. Envy must come! There are thousand and one people desiring to be there.

The quest to be placed there, generates envy among the position seekers. In most cases people refer to it as “Hot seat”. In other words, it is an envious position and people can do whatever to ascend there, not minding the outcome.

And this is one of the characteristics of envy. Envy looks for mistakes and faults of the successful men, to share their fault rather than their achievements.

You can see it in the life of Moses.

Numbers chap 12 vs. 2. Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.

When Miriam thought that Moses was the only person hearing from the Lord, she became envious of Moses, his brother. These are the things that can cause envy in our lives.

6. People of Great Potentials

When you have potential, when you have gift, when you are endowed with talent, when there is a clear vision, people know that you are carrying. When the dream is so clear, you cannot escape envy at your door.

Envy searches tirelessly for vision and dream carriers, talent and gift developers and great potential possessors to discourage them. That is the essence.

As Jesus was born, he became the search for the envious Herod and all the Jewish council.

Matthew chap 2 vs. 1 – 3. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

They noticed that a king was born and because of that reason, they became so envious of him. Why? Because they saw his star. That is what envy can do.

Once you are carrying great potential, and vision, people will envy you.

7. Misunderstanding of peoples Purpose and Achievements

When you don’t understand their purpose, when you don’t understand their achievements, you tend to envy them. Sometimes you say their money is ill gotten, their vehicle is tokunbo (fairly used), and you will always have one thing or the other to criticize their achievements.

It’s because you don’t understand their purpose and achievement, it is higher than you and that’s why you envy them.

Note: Today, know that when you do not have anything to offer, you may develop envious heart to those who have something to offer. That is one of the challenges you should know.

Effects of Envy

1. Incitement

You begin to incite people, you begin to tell people what they are not, you begin to make conclusion from afar. It’s bad!

2. Conspiracy

You begin to gang up against the person who has been blessed, who is successful in life. You develop hatred and anger just because somebody is succeeding. That is the effect of envy in one’s life.

3. Unfair Judgment

You may just judge that person without looking at the issue very well. You judge the person, the personality no not looking at the issue that caused the problem.

4. Criticism and Critical mind

You always be so critical, in criticizing every act of that person. Whatever the person does you will like to puncture it.

You not have the right mind of Judgment, be so sentimental about it.

Conclusion

The essence of this article is for you to know that there is need for you to do away with such mind. Once you are not doing anything very tangible, nobody will envy you. So be happy that people are envying you, because you are doing something.

Nobody envies the Mad Man on the street but those who are doing well, they are the people that are being envied and people criticize, incite, and do all sorts of things. This is as a result of ENVY.

Ask God to withdraw you from the Shackles of ENVY.

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