Reflective Essay: The Sin Of Envy And Happiness

The sin of envy is, in my opinion, an acute manifestation of pride. I wrestle with pride more than any other sin, and because pride and envy are so intertwined, I struggle frequently with envy as well. In one sense, I think envy is slightly more specific than pride; for this reason, this chapter caused me to focus less on the big picture and to consider instead how envy impacts my relationships with particular people. After reading Guinness’ insights, I realized that I can harness envy as a tool for self-evaluation; in addition, I learned both how envy can evolve from healthy desires and what this sin reveals about my attitude towards other people and God. An interesting aspect of envy is that it can be taken as a direct route to the true …show more content…
For example, a dear friend and I have subtly competed against each other for many years over both academic achievements and the severity of various life experiences. Although we care deeply about each other, we are both prideful people, and whenever something good or bad happens in either my life or hers, the other immediately tries to downplay that event or ‘one-up’ it with something that has happened in her life. Guinness confirms that this is a common temptation when he says that “We are always prone to envy people close to us in temperament, gifts, or position” (74). Evaluating what I envy about my friend has given me a better understanding of the personal characteristics that are most important to me. While it is not necessarily wrong to wish that I could be as successful as my friend in certain areas, it is wrong to wish that she could experience my struggles so that she would more sympathetic when I am hurting or sad. This sinful desire is eerily reflected in the following quote from Henry Fairlie: “We wait in ambush for the novel that fails, for the poet who commits suicide, for the financier who is a crook…We lie in ambush for them all, so that we may gloat at their misfortunes” (qtd. in Guinness 94). It may not seem like such an evil thing to wish for a friend’s pride to be brought down a few notches. However, Fairlie’s comment reminds me both of the warning in Psalms …show more content…
Envy is a fruit of pride, but it is also a reflection of discontent with God and a lack of trust in His plans. In order to defeat envy, I need to learn to love Him more deeply; the more I love Him and spend time with Him, the more I will trust Him. As a result, my priorities will shift and instead of feeling envious, my heart will be filled with thankfulness and joy for God’s kindness in making me exactly the way that I