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Envy is such a toxically timeless element of life that it even makes it into two of the Ten Commandments in the guise of “coveting.” All forms of coveting are off-limits. Property-coveting. Spouse-coveting. Animal-coveting. Our modern-day ears might add vacation-coveting, technological gadget-coveting, and beautiful hair extension-coveting, just to name a few. In Exodus, God makes it clear that it’s a definite no-go when it comes to wanting what someone else has.
Not only does envy cause pain and harm in our own lives, it 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. This is a sort of envy vaccine. It protects us from the need to seek out additional means of measuring our worth. Our Creator gifts us with confidence rooted not in possessions or appearance – but in our deep and abiding value to God. 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 Café online magazine.