ENVY EATS NOTHING BUT ITS OWN HEART

November 16, 2017

ENVY EATS NOTHING BUT ITS OWN HEART

Proverbs 23:12-21

Kyle Snow

Central Truth

Everything the world defines as prosperity will eventually have no worth. However, God works in a different currency, and He longs to see us prosper and to give gifts of eternal value.

Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
(Proverbs 23:17)

12 Apply your heart to instruction
    and your ear to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
    if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
    you will save his soul from Sheol.
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
    my heart too will be glad.
16 My inmost being^{1

23:16
Hebrew My kidneys} will exult
    when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not your heart envy sinners,
    but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.
18 Surely there is a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

19 Hear, my son, and be wise,
    and direct your heart in the way.
20 Be not among drunkards^{2

23:20
Hebrew those who drink too much wine}
    or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and slumber will clothe them with rags.

Footnotes

[1] 23:16 Hebrew My kidneys
[2] 23:20 Hebrew those who drink too much wine

Envious of sinners? Man, I’m guilty of being envious of many of the believers at Watermark, let alone sinners. I catch myself envying others in our church body who open their homes freely, have financial freedom from debt, and keep margin in their schedule to serve and invest in others. These are all admirable characteristics of being a good steward of resources, money, and time, right? Sure. Is it OK for me to be envious of these things then? Absolutely not!

If I were totally honest with myself, I want more time in my day so that I can go to the gym and lose the 30 pounds I gained since I got married and my son was born. I want to pay off my student loans so I can travel with my family and make an impulse purchase here or there. I want the moderate-sized home with the open floor plan and a great room for hosting because—even though I want to share my home with others, too—it simply sounds like a good investment.

However, renting the home in which we currently live and stewarding it well honors God. Being faithful to pay back in full the debt that I owe honors God. Making time to dive into Scripture daily—regardless of how busy I think my schedule is—honors God.

The thing is, these things aren’t easy. Some days they are easier than others, but, overall, following Jesus is hard. Surrendering the desires of my heart to align with God’s heart is extremely difficult. But over time, these seasons of pruning will bear greater fruit, leading to a reward far greater than my earthly desires. I’m sure that Solomon added the word continue in verse 17 because he wanted to emphasize to his sons that learning to fear the Lord is a process. God isn’t holding out on them or me. Rather, He is providing us the opportunity to receive gifts of infinite worth and value. There will be an end to the prosperity of the wicked, but God’s rewards are eternal and can never be outdone.

1. What are some current blessings of others that you wish were yours?

2. Do you justify envying any of these blessings because they are a good thing to desire?

3. When you recognize that you are envious of something or someone, how do you remind yourself of God's goodness and get pointed back to truth?