The Trouble With Envy

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Do you sometimes feel envious ?

I felt envy this morning when I was looking at photos of beautiful flowers growing in the gardens of fellow bloggers.

I saw dozens of amazing blossoms, and then I felt dejected because my garden has only a few tiny crocuses blooming. It is still too cold for outside flowers here.

Envy is a serious sin; God commands us not to envy or covet what someone else has, because he knows that this sin makes us miserable. The Tenth Commandment instructs us not to covet, or envy. (Exodus 20:17)

As well, this sin is offensive to God because it tells him that what he has given us is not good enough. We expect something more.

God chooses to bless us all differently. He appreciates an attitude of gratitude.

Just as I was contemplating the sin of envy, my husband returned from getting groceries in a neighbouring village.

He brought me fifteen white roses !

I am so thankful to the person who transported these roses, in the middle of a pandemic, to a rural Newfoundland grocery store !

Let us ask for the grace not to be envious of others, but instead let us rejoice in the many blessings, large and small, that God gives us every day.

Published by Dr. Sally

I am a retired Sociologist/Educator from Ontario. I now live at the very edge of the North American Continent. I spend my time in contemplation, spiritual reading , intercessory prayer, and maintaining a spiritual garden grotto as a place of prayer in my backyard by the Atlantic.

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89 thoughts on “The Trouble With Envy”

    1. Hi !
      That’s nice that you remember those other flowers ! Our flower shop is still closed, and so roses were something that I was not expecting.
      Let us continue to thank God for all of his blessings to us. 🤗

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      1. Definitely …To tell you the truth as a person who lived most of my life in the developing country called Lebanon , I used to dream a lot about migrating to Canada , USA or Sweden or any Western nation imagining it as a perfect exotic to place to live in … I learned that these countries have also the cycles of ups and downs of life like my country …
        In Lebanon , I would just have faith that God would inspire leaders to stabilize the value of the currency , develop the economy more , reduce corruption alowing more accountability in front of the law and transparency…
        May God help all people …
        I thank God because I have never slept hungry …I have enough food to eat and a moderate climate here in Lebanon…

        Liked by 4 people

      1. Oh, I am finished with owning a store. Husband and I worked so hard for 5 years in a cupcakerie. I still work but no longer do we own our store. Hard long hours and very competitive.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. How sweet of your hubby. The roses are beautiful. I admire your climate and wish (with some envy) that I could see this view for myself, lol. But the lesson is well taken. We are all placed exactly where we “need” to be by divine design … but the human heart always wants what the heart wants…

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    1. My father told me many years ago after I had lived in California and spoke about a budding acting career at the studios that just as quickly as it came or fell into my lap I left it in the dust and wondered why I did that! He said, “son, you are right where God wanted you to be!” My father knew me much better than I knew me and he knew the Lord’s will for me better than I did at that time. My mother in reference to this matter said, Lawrence, “God saved you!”

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      2. 🤗 Thank you Sally! You make me smile and my heart rejoice because I know you’re a mother and good wife who sees these things in children of their own and others so well. Just like our heavenly Father is always right and knows what is best for each of us, our earthly parents are meant to be aware of our inner workings in special parental ways developed over time to know when we are going in a wrong direction or going to be hurt! The way the Blessed Mother watched the young Jesus as He grew up demonstrated so clearly in the film “The Passion of the Christ” when she ran to Him as He fell down as a child, and then when he was carrying His cross, she was following closely by His side discreetly with wisdom and devotion according to God’s will; to be with her Son and support Him! 🤗

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      3. Yes, Lawrence, I so agree with you. I often think of Mary and Jesus, and how she did so many things for her son that are never mentioned in the Holy Scripture, but which every mother understands. We hear of Jesus at his birth, as a twelve year old, and then as an adult, but, as a mom, I also think of him as a toddler, and learning to speak, etc.
        Jesus chose to go through all these stages so that he could perfectly understand all of our humanity. 🤗

        Liked by 2 people

      4. 🤗 You hit the old nail on the proverbial head! I wrote in past blogs posts about pro-life matters and the Rosary which I did touch on this very fact about the Blessed Mother and how she is the one and only mother that carried in her womb the Child God ordained from heaven and told beforehand by an angel in accordance with prophecy, she was chosen as the blessed virgin by God to bring His only begotten son into this world as the Lamb to take away all sin. Now in any mother which I truly come to tears realizing, that mothers are so precious and special not just because they carry a new generation and new human beings in their wombs for 9 months, but, that in itself is a bond that only she knows and has with that particular child who for those months was part of her and she part of the child together sharing all the life and energy of the living with each other! That bond is so incredible and unique and will never die and cannot be broken! That was why Mary was so attuned to our Lord not just as her Savior and Redeemer as all other humans but with her only, just her, did He have this amazing mother/child connection elevating her not just to motherhood like all women who bear a child, but also to be in a special place of reverence as the mother of God, He the Savior with and through that special bond still working up to the time He was crucified and on after until her own death she was connected to Him, even in heaven by means of his Holy Spirit! Many people don’t see this or try to divorce it from the reality of the Holy Trinity and the whole vehicle or plan of how it was created and carried out! She did CARRY GOD! Amen. God bestowed special blessings on Mary not just before the Immaculate Conception but for EVERMORE as she is the queen mother of the Church now and forever! Our Dear Blessed Mother Mary! Her special station in God’s plan and Kingdom is etched in stone, but more importantly in the Spilled Blood of Christ, which she shared in her womb with Him, then wiped all of it from the floor and ground and nothing will ever change it in the slightest! Amen. Mary still has the most profound special bond with our heavenly Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit like no other being on earth or in heaven! I love all good mothers, and all those that aren’t I wish they were and can be; so I pray for them, but I put Mary at the top of the Mt. Zion in a sense with God the Father! She can follow His will still in unique special ways and intercede and assist us like she did her Son when He fell, she is an intercessor for God, all according to His will. Amen. God bless you all! My heart goes out to you Sally and your family, along with any of those out there listening, much love and blessings to you! Amen.
        😇 🤗 🙏 🙏 😇 ❤️ 😇 🙏 🙏 🤗 😇

        Liked by 1 person

      7. Yes dear sister! I just looked up to see what other notification arrived and yours appeared just when I sent my response, which now you seem like you read my mind because it says what you did here but with economy, which is something I don’t do often being so wordy! Thank you for putting it in a nutshell! That is something my father always did since I was a boy! I didn’t mimic that behavior very well! This converging of conversations is very obviously the Holy Spirit working within us!

        Liked by 3 people

      8. Yes, Lawrence, I agree. We were talking earlier about how
        funny adages can be.
        ‘in a nutshell’ , is another funny adage.
        I imagine how funny these can be to people learning English as a second language. 🤗

        Liked by 2 people

      10. Ha, ha Yes, they might be thinking what the heck are they talking about, are they crazy; until they of course see the connection of the all contained NUT! Like me sorta lol! 🤣😜😉 👍 🙏 🙏

        Liked by 1 person

    3. We have a good climate in Lebanon but I pray that we , as a developing country , get a better goverment and political leaders and more sustainable development just like that of developed nations in Europe , North America, Japan and Australia …

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      3. Yes. The pictures are beautiful. We are do blessed to see little glimpses of God’s earth. It makes me feel so grateful to share your spaces and see His design and creation.

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  8. Wonderful display Sally, and truly effective in delivering the message! What you bring up here is how envy and selfish desire leads to ruin as it is poison to the heart and soul which suppresses the first and foremost tenets of the Lord and another I bring to the fore.
    Matthew 22:37-40 — Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

    “Self-esteem is a popularized aspect of humanistic psychology, which is based on the belief that all are born good and that society is the culprit. The system places man as the measure of all things. The emphasis on self is exactly what began in the Garden of Eden, and it is being intensified through the humanistic teachings of self-love, self-esteem, self-fulfillment, self-realization, self-etcetera.” http://jbeard.users.rapidnet.com

    “And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
    Envy and jealousy are a corruption of the soul that leads to the worst of sins of full transgression of the Lord.
    7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? 10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground”. Genesis 4:7

    These scriptures and the healthy proper psychology mention here from a better of the man-made schools of thought about self, point out how this simple sin of envy or covetousness begins one’s journey down a slippery slope into exile or transgression from God!

    The photo is a symbol of beauty and love matched perfectly in the roses, light and reality of the blessing then the love that produced them and ultimately was an expression not only of God’s toward His children but from a husband to his wife; as it should be from one to another! Note the two tiny rainbows projected from all of this on the wall backdrop that appear by means of the glass vase acting as a prism showing the full bands of visible light that compose the fullness of the light we see shining forth, indicating that God’s love is so complete beyond what we can see or comprehend, and too; we can emulate His love when we live and act according to His word or instruction that He has given to us; it is Him and Him alone that knows all and obviously knows what is best for us, so all we need do is obey and follow Him!

    And Jesus said to the disciples, “You do know the way,” he asserts. “I am the way,” and you know me. Trust yourself to know what you know. Trust what we have done here together. Keep doing it. Keep loving each other as I have loved you. You know God, because you know me. You know the way, because you know me. Trust yourselves, trust me, trust God.
    Brother Lawrence

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    2. Thanks so much for these wise, and comprehensive comments, Lawrence !
      And I so agree with you that envy and covetousness lead us all down a slippery slope away from God. That is why Catholicism considers envy a “deadly” sin.
      🤗

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      1. 🤗You’re very welcome Sally and congratulations on the many years of love between you and your husband, both of you are a shining example; I actually get teary! I could even start to envy if I would be so foolish; but instead by example I say I’m so glad for both of you to have what I missed, perhaps by my own mistake and choosing, or it was just God’s will that I would be who and where I am now to see what I do with that, because only God knows what additional missions He needs me to carry out in His plan! No envy at all here, actually it gives me a great feeling to see God’s will manifested and occurring in others! It is a most egregious sin to envy isn’t it; exactly what Lucifer did not being satisfied to be the most beautiful of God’s angels and bearer of the light, so in his plotting and scheming against our Creator for not giving enough or more power and rank; thus began the great divide between God’s glorious kingdom and what would be the fallen world with those angels, that which is outside of God’s presence and not acceptable as it stands! Catholicism as a scientist I used to work with many years ago told me; because of his deep theology studies and living in a monastery to become a priest, put it this way, saying the Catholic Church is like a most perfect beautiful jewel with all of its many facets to glorify God and serve as His instrument to join together His family bringing them to Salvation! A masterpiece, and so extraordinary; this to me is why it was attacked from its foundational time and only intensified over the centuries with corruptions outside and even within its heart to ruin it just as the Devil wants to happen! I know we can’t toss out the baby with the bath water that would be a sacrilege; so I will be like my mother and father a warrior in the best way suitable to my Lord’s will to defend his baby! Amen. 🙏 🙂 🙏

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      3. 🤗 That is exactly it! His will be done on earth as in heaven so the conflict that was started so long ago He has already prepared its conclusion, being the Alpha and the Omega, Creator of all things seen and unseen, but as you said through his will guiding by allowing free agency and individual abilities or capabilities; He knows what is best for each and every one of His warriors and children as to where to be and what to do in order to fulfill His plan and bring all things to pass! All for our own good, and the end result is perfect with a huge perfect loving family! 😇 🤗 🙏 🙏 😇 ❤️ 😇 🙏 🙏 🤗 😇

        Liked by 2 people

  9. Aww, that is so super sweet of your husband to bring you those! What a special blessing!
    I enjoyed your post! I never thought of envy and covetous as being the same thing, but they surely are very closely related. I like what you said about God giving the command not to covet because He knew it would make us miserable. He surely is a wonderful, loving God!

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  10. Enjoy the roses. What a beautiful thought 🙂 I love your comment “God chooses to bless us all differently.” How true! It’s important to notice, count, and express gratitude for our own blessings. There are so many of them. And we miss out big time if we overlook them. Thanks for the reminder.

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    1. Yes, I still had my winter coat on today as I admired my brave little crocuses. Thanks for your comment ! 🤗
      Locals refer to less than perfect days as ‘old’ days. For example, they might say, ‘It’s a miserable old day’, or ‘it’s a windy old day’.
      Rather than give a lecture about how such comments show subtle ageism, I just smile and say : This is the day that the Lord has made…😁

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    3. That is a great perspective! Seasons change for all of us literally and figuratively so that plenty of good goes around with the difficulties we must endure! 🙏
      Another adage Sally, have to take the bad with the good!

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  13. “And my God shall supply ALL our needs (and sometimes wants) according to His riches in glory.” I’m smiling with joy for His provision of beautiful white roses from your hubby, Sally. Abba knows how to make us smile 🙌🏽

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  15. I am happy you have your roses. I feel envy sometimes also. Health issues for 40 years, long periods of time in the hospital and it still continues as I deal with side effects of surgery, even a surgery just two days ago. I also envy cars, gardens, homes etc but I know these are natural feelings because I am an ordinary person. Thankfully I set those envious moments aside because I also feel grateful, fortunate, blessed (and I am!). Thankfully more times than I feel envious I feel joyful and appreciative. I’m a work in progress and always will be.

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    1. Hi Dave ! Yes, I can see from your blog posts that you you are richly blessed.
      I confess to feeling envious sometimes when I see your weather in Penticton !
      Hope that you are recovering well after your recent surgery two days ago.
      Yes, we all have specific things that we feel envious about.
      Thanks for commenting.🤗

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  18. Good words for this morning as I find myself struggling with envy of anyone who doesn’t get woken up multiple time in the night by small children or woken up at the crack of down with many demands from same small children… Also having a bit of big-yard envy of anyone who has a large backyard for their kids to play in during this season of stay-at-home quarantine.

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    1. Yes, Jenny, I remember many days like that. Motherhood’s demands are well known to all moms…
      And now, I find myself struggling with envy, wishing that I had small children to interact with again…
      Let us continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, which is stretching our patience to new levels.
      God bless you.🤗

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      1. Indeed, it was a miracle. I saw on the news a lot of flower farmers destroying their flowers. It was sad. I was wondering if they could not dry it instead and use it for potpourri.

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      2. Yes, Beverley, I also saw flower farmers doing that. It saddened me. Yes, we would think that potpourri could be created.
        I remember seeing such beautiful flowers in Jamaica !
        Is it true that Jamaicans refer to their island as ‘The Rock’ ?
        We call our island ‘The Rock’ 🤗

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      3. ‘Jamaica, The land of wood and water.’ It was really sad to see them chopping up the beautiful flowers. Really sad indeed. A lot of food and other stuff have been wasted. We are going to feel the effects later. May God help us to prepare. 🙂❤

        Liked by 1 person

  22. So true. Not only should we be happy with how much we might have, but we should also be happy for others because of the good things they have. Coveting our neighbor’s goods often borders on taking their good things away from them. It’s like committing theft in the heart where sin does originate from.

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