I Don't Even Like WomenНамуна

THE PRICE OF ENVY

You remember the scene from Snow White. “Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land?”

Since we were little girls, envy has been an underlying cause for much of the conflict found in our storylines. It is the wart at the end of our nose, and there is no concealer on the market that can cover it up.

But Disney wasn’t the first to give us fair warning of the price of envy.

Cain was a farmer, and his brother, Abel, was a herds­man. When it came time to present their sacrifices to the Lord, Cain brought the fruit of the ground and Abel the firstborn of his flock (Genesis 4:3-4). God accepted and favored Abel’s offering but did not accept Cain’s offering. This caused great jealousy in Cain’s heart, which compelled him to murder his brother, Abel.

The Bible assigns envy a place in the Top Ten of commandments. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

The repercussions of envy are severe. When we look at someone and covet what they have, watch for them to fall, or delight in their failure, it only brings death to our own heart and soul.

Yet you and I look into a phone mirror every morning assessing who seems to be the fairest of them all. Who has the most success, money, fame, favor, visibility, followers?

We’re looking into the mirrors of the world asking for validation rather than looking into the eyes of our image maker who has good things for all his daughters. One sister’s perceived success takes nothing away from us. God’s favor doesn’t run out; he has plenty for us all.

A jealous sister cannot be a generous sister. May God grant us the grace to walk out our assignments with eyes on him—not looking to our left or right.

When you look into the lives of other women, what is it they have that you wish you had? Is there a common theme in your life (money, sta­tus, size of house, material things, work) that triggers you more than others?