Did you ever stop to think that envy and pride are simply two sides of the same coin? That coin is comparison. When we compare ourselves with others we toss the coin. The envy side of the coin comes up when we think the other person is doing much better and we don’t measure up by comparison. The pride side of the coin comes up when we think we are doing much better than the other person and we look down on or even pity them.
That coin of comparison is minted by the enemy. He knows God created each of us as unique individuals so comparing ourselves with someone else is always going to produce a false impression that will lead us into either the sin of pride or the sin of envy. Heads he wins. Tails we lose.
How do we avoid this con game Satan has devised? First, we must realize that God has a unique plan for us that is different from His plan for any other person, so comparing ourselves to anyone else is unnecessary and futile. Galatians 6:4 tells us, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.” The only comparison we need to make is comparing ourselves to the person God wants us to be. That will help us measure up to God’s expectation for us.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence when we look at it through that “green-eyed monster” of envy. We will defeat envy when we count our blessings and thank and praise God for each of them. Our gratitude will eliminate our need for comparisons. We will defeat pride when we become more sensitive to the needs of others. We will encourage those who are doing well to stay on course and we will give a helping hand to those who are less fortunate. When we humble ourselves before God pride is nowhere to be found. As C. S. Lewis put it, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.”