God Does Not Envy
Part three in this series on God's character
We are embarking on the next part of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Love does not envy. Through this series we are rediscovering God’s true character. So, since God is love, then God must have the character traits described in this set of verses.
Today we are diving into envy.
I have a house. It’s not very big, but it’s not tiny either. Depending on who you are, the fact that I have a home might make you feel a certain way. I’m aware of this. I’m proud of my home. I’m thankful for it. But I also understand that owning a home can stir up a variety of emotions in others.
So when I talk with people, I try to answer questions about my home with sensitivity. I don’t want anyone to feel envy or feel less-than because they’re not in the same position financially—or for any other reason.
But here’s the thing: God doesn’t envy. I don’t have to tiptoe around His feelings. Yes, I should be respectful of God. But I can also cry out to Him honestly—and He doesn’t mind. I can be open about what I have and how I feel about it.
God is incapable of envy because He already possesses everything. He is everything. That makes Him the perfect impartial listener—someone I can talk to about anything.
Let’s take a moment to distinguish between envy and jealousy:
Envy is wanting what someone else has.
Jealousy, in Scripture, is often about a passionate desire to protect or hold onto something you already love.
God is described as jealous1 for our love—not because He lacks something, but because He deeply desires relationship with us. He wants us to love Him and be loved by Him.
But God never envies—because He lacks nothing. He is the great I AM2. Isn’t that amazing?
God is not dependent on anything. He is all things and will always be all things.
It’s no wonder He can’t envy.
For me to have a house, I had to depend on a lot—our finances, my work, my husband’s work. All of it, in truth, is a gift from God. The specific house we have, its location—it's all a huge blessing. I couldn’t have received any of it without God's hand on my life.
Here is a bonus thought for you:
I’ve been working in my yard a lot recently. It is hard work.
I’ve been thinking about how man is cursed3 to “work the land,” because of sin’s separation. Some people think this means we literally work the land by farming. Some people think this is just a way of saying that you will have to work for the rest of your life.
What I realized it could also mean is; “Okay. You decided to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Since you now know everything good and bad, and you made this choice, it’s your land to work.”
It’s like when a parent comes over to try and help you with your homework and you don’t want their help.
But what God didn’t say is, “Welp, you’re on your own now.”
God has been hovering outside our bedroom door waiting, hoping we will ask him for help with our hard math homework. He’s not going to do the homework for us, but he wants to guide us to find the right answers.
If you want something someone else has, or need help in an area of your life and feel envious, ask God for help!
God wants to guide you to him and guide you to the right answer for you. He’s the answer to curing envy.
Action steps:
It’s easy to fall into a comparison trap with envy. Journal about things you want and then evaluate which items are real desires or are coming from a source of envy.
For more reading, read Deuteronomy 4:14-40 .
Deuteronomy 4:24
Exodus 3:13–15
Genesis 3:19