Envy is dehydrating to both the body and the soul. To envy is to want what someone else has; it is to believe that whatever we have is not enough–that we need to do more and be better. Envy is painful and exhausting. Not only does envy cause pain and harm in our own lives, but it also often leads us astray in ways that can cause injury (emotional or physical) to others.
Our baptismal identity confirms that we are eternally claimed, loved, and valued. Our Creator gifts us with confidence rooted not in possessions or appearance–but in our deep and abiding value to God. The next time you feel envy rising up, trace the sign of the cross on your hand, forehead, or the corner of your notebook. Remind yourself that you are already more than enough. You are already loved, blessed, and sealed with a cross that means you are immeasurably, eternally valuable.
This message is excerpted from “Envy” by Emily Carson in the March 2016 Cafe online magazine.
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