Envy rots the bones.
—Proverbs 14:30
Paul’s list of sins in Galatians 5:19–21 specifies sexual sins, impurity, idolatry, and sorcery. The New Century Version calls them “The wrong things the sinful self does.” But Paul’s list goes on to include jealousy, selfish ambition, and envy.
James said, “Where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” (Jas 3:16).
Envy is perverse and difficult to defeat. Scripture enjoins us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). Sometimes it seems easier to sympathize with others’ sorrow than to celebrate others’ success. Bette Midler said, “The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.”
The end of envy is fatal: it rots the bones—“envy can eat you up” (Prv 14:30 CEV).
Envy kills from the inside out.