Is jealousy the same as envy or very different? If you ask a person when they have felt jealous, they very likely will describe when they felt envy. Jealousy occurs when a person already possesses someone or something and wants to protect it while envy occurs when a person lacks a desired item, attribute or position. However, when envy is mixed with jealousy, jealousy becomes polluted. If a person has a partner and a more attractive and capable individual enters the scene, that the first person may actually envy the attractiveness and capability of the third party although expresses it as pure jealousy for their partner. The mixture of the two can make jealously ugly and abusive which is typically experienced by most humans.
James wrote about wars and fighting between humans. What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires [envy] at war within you (James 4:1, NLT2)? He points out the source of the fighting is not what others do that feels threatening, but rather in the envious thoughts one wrestles with in his/her own mind and emotions. James then goes on to define that inner conflict as spiritual adultery—trying to love the world and God at the same time. His point is that God will not tolerate a bride having a love affair with the world while she is married to Him.
Verse 5 can justifiably be translated in a couple ways. But, given the context of the previous verse where he calls the readers adulterous people, I understand the English Standard Version as capturing the better interpretation when it reads, Do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us” (James 4:5, ESV)? Moses said something similar about God when he wrote, You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you (Exodus 34:14, NLT2). These similar thoughts bring out a most profound truth. Most of our fighting with others is actually a battle between us and God regarding who will be king of our lives.
Since God lacks nothing for Himself, He therefore has no envy. He has a healthy, untainted jealously for the spirit He plants within a person when he/she becomes a believer (Ezekiel 36:26). For the individual He insists our spirit must not become smothered or otherwise distracted by any envious thoughts we wrestle with in our mind or emotions or those stimulated by who or what is around us.
The fact that we want more than what God has given us only reveals the pride within our heart—we deserve more than what He has given us. That pride is what is hindering us from receiving God’s grace which is essential to our salvation AND joy in this life. James actually addresses that fact when he writes in this context, … he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble” (James 4:6, NLT2).
Point, just as a good husband would not put up with his wife having multiple on-going affairs (or vice versa), God will not put up with believers who refuse to stop loving the world which includes loving themselves more than God. If we will humbly recognize and go to God admitting our prideful envy, He will have favor on us and give us more of His grace that brings us His joy. I don’t know about you, but more often than I like, my prideful and envious heart put me at odds with God as well as those around me. Holy Spirit, please help me apply this truth more often in my life.
Good one!
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