Our nation will be a blessed nation if our leaders purged themselves of the negative trait which is called envy. Envy is a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success and possessions.

Three Things A Leader Must Know about Envy

 1. A leader must know that envy is a negative personal trait that destroys a person from within.

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but ENVY THE ROTTENNESS OF THE BONES.

Proverbs 14:30

The Scripture calls it rottenness of the bones. Envious people are destroyed from within. They may have everything but are focused on what others have and what others are doing. Envious people are not content. They may look happy on the outside but their hearts are thinking about what others have and what others are doing.

Happiness to an envious person is about what another person has or does not have. They may live in the most beautiful castle, but once the person they fear is smiling in a grass hut somewhere else they are not happy.

A person consumed with envy is unhappy because of his diseased soul.

The soul of such a person is defective and the person is unwell. I have watched envious people live their lives as though they were on a crusade against their own personal happiness. They do not want to be happy! They only want to focus on the existence of another.

A renowned lady said in her own words that she spent her honeymoon thinking about another woman. She said she thought that every five minutes her husband was secretly calling that woman. Instead of being happy and relishing the moments of glory with her prince, her heart and mind were on another lady. She could think of only one thing – someone else whose existence made her unhappy. Indeed, this is the lot of those who cannot enjoy their own lives without thinking of what the other person may be doing or saying.

Accept your lot and focus on what God has done for you. Your envy is self-destructive and the cruelty of your envy is eating you up.

2. A leader must know that envy is a negative personal trait that is as cruel as the grave.

… JEALOUSY IS CRUEL AS THE GRAVE: the coals thereof are the coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Songs of Solomon 8:6

Anyone who has attended a funeral of a young person cut down in the prime of his life will understand the meaning of the phrase, “as cruel as the grave.” Attending the funeral of young fathers, mothers and friends only leaves you with desperate feelings of pain. It is distressing just to watch grieving families torn apart by death: loved ones are wrenched away from those that depend on them. The meaninglessness of their lives and the hopelessness of their situation cannot be counselled away. A great desolation falls on those left behind and a gnawing and persisting pain consumes them. Can there be anything as cruel as the grave?

But the Bible says that jealousy is as cruel as the grave. Jealousy is indeed a very evil thing.

3. A leader must know that envy is a negative personal trait whose evil effects are worse than anger and cruelty combined.

Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; BUT WHO IS ABLE TO STAND BEFORE ENVY?

Proverbs 27:4

What can be worse than cruelty? Well, remember that Jesus Christ was crucified because of envy (Mark 15:10). Envy is worse than cruelty because it is a mindless force that drives an individual to eliminate another without mercy or good reason. Envy is a monster that I pray you will not have to contend with.

The Story of the Greedy Man and the Envious Man

A greedy man and an envious man met up with a great king who was pleased with them for their good works. The king said to them, “I desire to reward you for your efforts in the kingdom. One of you may ask something of me and I will give it to him, provided I give twice as much to the other.”

The envious person did not want to ask first for he was envious of his companion who would receive twice as much. The greedy man also did not want to ask first since he wanted everything that was to be had.

A great argument ensued and the king left the two workers to sort themselves out and decide who would make the request first.

Finally the greedy man pressed the envious man to be the first to make the request. He threatened him so much that the envious man feared for his life. The greedy man was happy that at last he had won over the envious man and would have twice as much of the reward that was coming to the envious man.

The two men got ready to see the king and presented themselves before the throne to make their request.

The envious man spoke as agreed and said, “O great king we are thankful for your generosity and kindness towards us. There is no need for you to do more than you have already done. This shall be our reward and it will suffice us for the rest of our lives.

He continued, “O great king, please pluck out one of my eyes. This is something I cannot do for myself and it shall be a sufficient reward for the rest of my life. The greedy person could not believe his ears as he heard the reward that the envious man had chosen. Immediately, he knew that the envious man had done him in. “I am going to lose both of my eyes,” he wailed. “Why was I so greedy?

Why did I want twice as much? Why did I trust my life to an envious and cruel man?

Indeed, he had trifled with the envious man. He never imagined the cruelty that could come out of the envious man.

The envious man in his cruelty wanted the two eyes of the greedy man to be taken out to punish him for getting twice as much. The envious man was prepared to lose one eye so that his enemy would be blind. What kind of mindless and senseless wickedness was this? Indeed, you must fear the envious for their cruelty is more than the grave! The

greatest sin of men, to crucify Jesus Christ, was committed because of envy.

For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

Mark 15:10

Indeed, our nation will be a blessed nation if our leaders cleansed out envy from within them.