Warning: Poison Envy

• Describe a time when not getting something you wanted made you angry. How long did you stay angry?

• When you feel jealous of someone, what other emotions do you feel towards them?

“Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.”
Job 5:2

When you feel resentment, you feel anger and ill will towards someone else because things haven’t gone as you wished. When you feel envy, you want something that someone else has. These two emotions often go hand in hand. We often feel resentment because we don’t have something that someone else has.

The Bible teaches us that both of these emotions are dangerous. In fact, if a person who is having these emotions doesn’t deal with them, resentment and envy can destroy their life.

People can spend their whole lives being jealous of others. Instead of seeking God, instead of serving others, instead of enjoying life, they spend their time and energy wanting what others have. This only brings pain to them.

As children of God, we don’t have to suffer from resentment or envy. When we experience these emotions, we need to talk them over with God and get at the root of the problem before they take over our lives.

PRAYER
Dear God, forgive us when we feel resentment or envy. Thank you for all that you have given us; help us to enjoy life to the fullest. Protect us from the temptation of jealousy and the trap of resentment. Amen.