My Last Nerve - Pt. 2

 

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death. Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools. (Proverbs 14:29-33 ESV).

 

Thinking today along the same theme as yesterday, I came to our reading today. Solomon teaches the destructive power of envy. One of the seven deadly sins, it is rooted in comparison. When you compare yourself to others and decide that you don’t measure up, you can easily fall into envy. And that can make you rotten inside. A recent journal article dealing with the effects of envy and jealousy is important to note:

 

“’Note that two types of envy exist: benign and malicious envy,’ the authors explain. ‘Benign envy exists if the advantage of the other person is deserved, and motivates people to attain a coveted good or position for themselves. This more motivating type of envy makes people pay an envy premium for the products that elicited their envy.’ On the other hand, malicious envy occurs if the other person is thought to be undeserving; it evokes a desire to pull down the other person.”

 

Envy comes in when we feel we have a right to something that someone else has—and we feel they shouldn’t have it at all. Envy has led people to steal or kill to make sure the thing they wanted was not enjoyed by someone else. This is the root of some of the chaos and destruction we are seeing in our day. It will never bring productive results to any cause. We see this in the Scripture. Saul was envious of David. David was more successful, and he received more praise. When that happened, Saul—who had his own successes—no longer heard the songs sung for him, but only the songs sung for David. And it made him rot on the inside.

 

If we are to see the healing of our nation, we need true wisdom. Wisdom calls us to rejoice in the good that others do, and to praise God for the blessings and gifts he provides others. It calls us to work toward righting the injustices of our world with a clear call to the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is our only hope at any time, and especially this time!