If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. —James 3:14
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13 to address many of the problems in the Corinthian church. The Corinthians had a lot of different spiritual gifts, but they held up those gifts to impress each other, saying certain ones were more important than others.
Paul said the key to dealing with this issue of jealousy and comparison is to live a life of love. Love is not envious. When you see another person who is more popular, successful, beautiful, or talented, you will be glad for that person—if you have a heart of love.
In James 3, Paul says that if you have jealousy in your hearts, you shouldn’t boast, because jealousy is not from God. But he goes on to say, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (v. 17).
The problem with envy in the Corinthian church and in us today is a lack of love. It all goes back to love.
Make it Personal
How do you see a lack of love in the way people interact around you, both within the Church and outside of it?