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The Vice of Envy
(Series 4, Part 2, Teaching #26)
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The Vice of Envy
Out of the self-centered perspective of the prideful comes the poison of envy. When pride places you at the center of your universe, envy emerges as the sorrowful reaction to someone else shining brighter than you. It is the quiet pain you feel when another succeeds, the subtle delight you feel when they fall.
The vice of envy is a disposition of sorrow toward another's good or joy at another's misfortune.
Scripture warns, “Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer” (Proverbs 14:30). Envy is a slow poison. It eats away at your joy, corrodes your peace, and spreads like a sickness through your soul. Just as the devil rejoices in your sorrow and sorrows in your joy, so too does the envious heart become twisted—incapable of celebrating what is good in others.
Envy never announces itself loudly. It hides behind humor, criticism, gossip, comparison. It whispers, “Why them and not me?” It grumbles at another’s blessing and silently hopes they don’t succeed again. Left unchallenged, it breeds resentment. And resentment, once rooted, grows into bitterness, dissatisfaction, discontent, and despair.
Ask yourself—what do you gain from your neighbors' loss or setback? Nothing. Should there be a sole possessor of all things, talents, opportunities, friendships? There shall not. The truth is, envy gains nothing, and costs everything. It makes you blind to your own gifts, deaf to the goodness of others, and numb to the joy of the present moment.
But there is a better way. Envy is overcome not by force, but by virtue.
Combat envy with the virtues of kindness, contentment, gratitude, and hope.
Be kind. When envy rises in your heart, speak well of the one you envy. Pray for them. Bless them. Celebrate them. In doing so, you break envy’s grip.
Be content. Remember—God has not forgotten you. He has given you unique gifts for a unique purpose. God distributes gifts differently. You will not be judged by what others did with their gifts, but by what you did with yours.
Be grateful. You have already received the greatest gift—a soul made in the image of God, redeemed by Christ, and invited into eternal glory. What more do you need? “It is madness for a Christian to be envious. In Christ we have all received infinitely great blessings” (St. John of Kronstadt).
Be hopeful. Fix your eyes not on worldly gains, but on spiritual ones. Set your heart on the crown that never fades—the joy of Heaven, the eternal union with God. No one can take that prize from you but yourself.
We all wrestle with envy. The slightest twinge of discomfort at someone else’s rise, or hidden gladness at their fall, reveals its presence. Do not ignore it. Do not excuse it. Bring it into the light.
So reject envy. Confess it. Uproot it. Do not let it distort your heart or steal your peace. Rejoice in the good of others. Celebrate the successes of your neighbor. For when you do, you loosen the chains of envy and walk freely in love.
Let your soul be lifted, not when you rise above others, but when you lift others up in Christ. That is true freedom. That is victory over envy. That is the way of virtue.
Scroll down for the lesson plan and other related resources associated with this teaching.
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Resources
Visual Resource
An illustration that briefly describes the deadly vice of envy.
Free Lesson Plan
Perfect for small groups, families, classrooms, or personal reflection.
Lesson for Kids
Great for teaching kids in a fun and gentle way (for ages 12 and under).
Related Scripture
“Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.” — Proverbs 14:30 (GNT)
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (NRSVue)
“...but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it.” — Wisdom 2:24 (NRSVue)
“Those who rejoice in the fall of the godly will be caught in a snare, and pain will consume them before their death.” — Sirach 27:29 (NRSVue)
“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the Lord. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” — Proverbs 23:17-18 (NRSVue)
“Don't let evil people worry you; don't be envious of them. A wicked person has no future—nothing to look forward to.” — Proverbs 24:19-20 (GNT)
“Do not envy the success of sinners, for you do not know what their end will be like. Do not delight in what pleases the ungodly; remember that they will not be held guiltless all their lives.” — Sirach 9:11-12 (NRSVue)
“Don't be envious of evil people, and don't try to make friends with them.” — Proverbs 24:1 (GNT)
“Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.” — Ecclesiastes 4:4 (NRSVue)
“...nor will I travel in the company of sickly envy, for envy does not associate with wisdom.” — Wisdom 6:23 (NRSVue)
“From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” — Mark 7:21-23 (NABRE)
“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” — Titus 3:1-5 (NRSVue)
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.” — James 3:13-18 (NRSVue)
“Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.” — 1 Peter 2:1 (NRSVue)
Related Quotes
“It is madness for a Christian to be envious. In Christ we have all received infinitely great blessings.” — St. John of Kronstadt
"Envy, my children, follows pride; whoever is envious is proud. See, envy comes to us from Hell; the devils having sinned through pride, sinned also through envy, envying our glory, our happiness." — St. John Vianney
“From envy, are born hatred, detraction, calumny, joy caused by the misfortune of a neighbor, and displeasure caused by prosperity.” — St. Augustine
“Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” — Socrates
"Envy is pain at the good fortune of others." — Aristotle
"Envy has three phases. In the first phase, the envious one desires to damage another's reputation; in the next phase, the envious one basks in either joy at another's misfortune or grief at another's prosperity; and the final phase, the envious one has hatred because sorrow causes hatred." — St. Thomas Aquinas (paraphrased)
"The spirit of envy can destroy; it can never build." — Margaret Thatcher
“Rust consumes iron and envy consumes itself.” — Danish Proverb
“It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” — Aeschylus
“It is never wise to seek or wish for another’s misfortune. If malice or envy were tangible and had a shape, it would be the shape of a boomerang.” — Charley Reese
“Envy, if surrounded on all sides by the brightness of another’s prosperity, like the scorpion confined within a circle of fire, will sting itself to death.” — Charles Caleb Colton
“Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self-worth. Each of us has something to give that no one else has.” — Elizabeth O’Connor
“Envy is like a fly that passes all the body’s sounder parts, and dwells upon the sores.” — Arthur Chapman
"When we envy another, we make their virtue our vice." — Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux
"The cure for the sin of envy and jealousy is to find our contentment in God.” — Jerry Bridges
"How much of hell is there in the temper of an envious man! The happiness of another is his misery; the good of another is his affliction. He looks upon the virtue of another with an evil eye, and is as sorry at the praise of another as if that praise were taken away from himself. Envy makes him a hater of his neighbor, and his own tormentor.” — Nathaniel Vincent
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