Love Never Envies

Albert Bogle February 05, 2022 0 9

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1 Corinthians 13: 4, Acts 9: 26-31 (NIVUK)

(1 Corinthians 13) 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

(Acts 9) 26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Have you ever thought what it might be like if envy was removed from all our hearts? What I’m talking about is the unconscious envy that exists in everyone. The danger is to ignore it or to  begin to feed that envy. When we feed it, it becomes like a monster eventually consuming us. If we ignore it we become the silent cynic that refuses to enter into another’s success.

Envy doesn’t just exist in us as individuals. It exists in the corporate world of finance, industry, and religion too.  It exists in the church. One of the greatest stumbling blocks to unity and the fulfilment of our mission is the sense of envy that many congregations and pastors and ministers have towards those who seem to be successful. The story of Saul’s first encounters with the church are recorded as creating fear in the hearts of the believers. One wonders if there might not have been little bit of envy. Creeping in? Why would Jesus appear to such a man?

Often it is an unconscious envy but it is there and it colours the way we think and act and behave.

When we allow love to shape our thinking everything changes. Love rejoices to see good things happen to others. Love turns envy into encouragement and adoration. Love rejoices when another succeeds. Let us each pray for the success of all our endeavours regardless of the church or the denomination we adhere to. Let us pray blessings on our neighbouring congregations.

PRAYER:

Loving merciful God

When jealousy

Knocks on my door

Give me the strength

To turn away from envy

Give me patience to think before I speak

Let kindness shape my thoughts

Let me be a Barnabas

A true child of encouragement

Ready to rejoice in another’s joy

Let love be seen and heard and felt

By all with whom we live