Envy

Okay- here I go again... ranting. Do you remember the commercial for some hair product several years ago that starts with a glamorous model/actress saying, "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful" ? I find it sad and even repulsive when I hear someone speak disparagingly of someone- ANYone- else for no other reason than they consider them "superior" in some way: they have more money, more fame, more knowledge, are more beautiful, more talented, on and on.... I have often made the point that the teachings of Jesus Christ are not only good and righteous, they are totally logical. The scriptures teach us to love one another, mourn with those that mourn, rejoice with those that rejoice, not covet, and treat others the way you would want to be treated. When you have worked hard to accomplish something, doesn't it make you feel good to have others notice and acknowledge your accomplishment? If you have exercised to have a trim body, would you want someone look at you with disgust because they didn't have a body like yours? If you studied hard to ace a test, would you want others to mock you and hate you because you succeeded? If someone is diligently making an effort and not just trying to get attention, it behooves us to compliment them in the same way we would want to be complimented on our efforts. If someone else has a lot of friends, appearing to have more than we have, it would behoove us to ask ourselves some questions: does this other person really have more friends or is it just a temporary situation in which someone has gotten votes or praise or applause? If they really have more friends, are "more popular", is it because the friends they have are simply weak followers? If we would like to have more friends ourselves, what kind of friends would we want and what do we do to acquire more friends? Are we fully appreciating the friends we already have rather than discounting them because we think they should be more or better or richer?
I realize that the real root of envy is poor self-esteem. I also realize that we all have the freedom to choose how we look at ourselves and others. Can ANYONE truly, honestly say that they are not loved? Even those throughout history who have come to exemplify evil have had people who cared about them. We each need to be totally honest about our own attributes and accomplishments, without trying to compare ourselves to anyone. If we can be a little nicer, work a little harder or longer each day, or even just keep trudging on, we are successful. The billions of people who have and do inhabit this planet are all different in some way. We each start from a different place in any endeavor and have different strengths and handicaps. There is absolutely no way we can fairly compare ourselves with anyone else. The scriptures offer great advice when counseling us to lose ourselves in the service of others. We can be paralyzed into inaction if we feel "unworthy". That results in having done nothing to feel satisfied about having accomplished. If we spend time noticing others' needs and do our best to help when we have the skills or resources, we can feel accomplished which builds self-esteem. Our self-esteem is not built sturdily on compliments. We know within ourselves when we have diligently tried or when we have made excuses or given up. We all have moments of flagging energy or determination. That's a good time to pray for reinforcements. That can come directly from God through the Holy Spirit or it can come through an "in tune" friend or family member who lifts us up, encouraging us to keep trying. Envy only destroys- our self-esteem and our relationships with others.