Lance Wallnau

Discerning the Spirit of Envy

I was talking to some young ministers recently who have become popular on the national landscape. They shared that they sense jealousy and criticism from their peers in response to what they say. I’ve noticed something kind of interesting. When we are being critical in ministry, or pick on other people, it’s often not because of something they said —it’s because of envy.

There are a few key elements to envy:

  1. Envy is desiring something someone else has.  In Mark 15:20, Pilot noted that it was for envy that the Jewish leaders brought Jesus forward for trial.  This was very discerning of Pilot. You see, envy is an emotion you need to understand. If someone is doing something that you thought you could do but didn’t do, then you experience jealousy or envy. I’m never jealous of a prizefighter who knocks somebody out. I’m never jealous of a rock star who has a big following. You know why? I’m not a boxer and I’m not a singer. No matter the career field you are in, if you see someone attaining favor and results that you intuitively know you could have had also—but you didn’t take the steps to get there—that’s envy! It’s essential to learn to celebrate the victories of others if we are to proceed with the right heart and walk in a place of favor.
  2. Be on guard when envy creeps in. Start to watch where that comes from. The enemy wants to keep you focused on what you don’t have—on who you aren’t—instead of on who God made you to be and how far you've come.
  3. Don’t try to be someone else. Comparison is the death of authenticity. Be fully who you are. Recognize that God will never hold back anything from you that is in the field of possibility. Heaven plays no favorites. Your task is to fully develop your own capacity. When you are jealous or envious of others, it’s because someone else is attaining results of which you are also capable. Observe and figure out what steps they are taking that you haven’t yet.

Note: If YOU are the target of envy and jealousy, take it as the backhanded compliment that it is.
Question: Who are you critical of? Is jealousy the root of this criticism? Who are you comparing yourself with? Do you need to “let it go”? Can you bear to hear others celebrated in your presence? Release all unhealthy comparisons. Discover your unique task. Work your own field!  Let the Lord speak to you about who you are and who you are meant to be. Comment below!
Want to learn how to walk this out? September 9-11 in Dallas we will be finding our place and working our field at Kingdom and Calling 7m Summit 2016. Find out more at 7mSummit.com.
As One!
Lance

Comparison is the death of authenticity.

52 thoughts on “Discerning the Spirit of Envy”

  1. Please check and see why I was blocked from Lance’s Periscope and maybe Facebook too? I have know idea why. Plus I have invested quite a bit of money towards the dashboard from the Kingdom Wealth Conference in Fort Mill back in the spring. My name is Sharon Wise. Sharonlwise7@gmail.com. 336-971-8072. His deal was to donate 250.00 per month to Global Celebration for 6 months.

  2. Hi Lance, just finished reading ‘God’s Chaos Candidate’. Superb!! Confirmations through your book came perfectly timed as the Holy Spirit had already led me to vote for Trump very similar to how He led you, followed by a mentoring me on the life and character of Winston Churchill. I had never heard of you but after sharing with someone prior to the primaries how God had been moving, they said the similarity of my experience sounded very much like the authors of a book they had just finished. She mailed it to me and I devoured it the same day! Thank you for your ministry. Abundant blessings!!

  3. 40+ years ago I was a secular musician. The Lord opened my eyes one night and allowed me to see how my talent was entertaining people on their way to Hell. I quit, started attending church, got saved, then began using my musical skills for the Lord. I entertained ideas of becoming a Minister of Music, but never thought of it as a calling. The church was growing rapidly, and with new members came more musicians. Over time, my love for music took on an idolatrous life of its own–I had become the bass guitarist for a church orchestra that had become the “buzz” in the city where I was living at the time. Along about then I developed tinnitus and eventually had to quit playing ( I also wrote songs.) The depression that followed got bad enough to require crisis intervention. I left the church to join one where the membership was small and the “joyfull noise” was more tolerable. After a 3 year hiatus I went back to playing, but it never brought much satisfaction. I’ve not played now in years. The struggle for which I’ve written you concerns my envy and disgust for a younger cousin on whom God has poured out an abundance of talent, musically. He is Choral Director at a prestigious university, a distinction that would make him a bright star in our family’s constellation, so to speak. But he’s in a same-sex marriage. The thought of that lifestyle infuriates me, and I want God to tell me why He heaped so much talent on one of the most despicable members of the family. I once longed for the privilege of writing a hymn or praise chorus that would garner traction and become popular in churches across the land, but it’s as if the dream went up in smoke. But the smoke isn’t thick enough to hide my gay cousin who has a glorious occupation and gets paid well for enjoying it.

  4. This is wonderful, bringing clarity as my husband and I are targets of a pastor’s envy. We were sent there to receive ministry and serve. It hasn’t went that well even after being there for over a year. We would leave, but we feel led to stay and to be a light. We are senior citizens, in our 60s, married for 43 years. It is sad, that we must continue to guard ourselves even from this. Thank you for such a great message and your openness to admit that envious thoughts come your way.

  5. Comparison is not the death of authenticity… it is envy. Envy is the position you choose after you have made the comparison. To choose envy ( different from jealousy ) is to wish not what they have but the destruction of what the other has through spite toward that individual. The only satisfaction is derived from destroying the soul and spirit of what that individual holds. Spite stop what that other is doing at all costs so that one does not have to feel they are less. If I compare myself with another and realize i am not that indivual and i dance to another toon I have merely compared and not taken a position against it. Envy is a choice. a toxic choice which would destroy authenticity. It is in essence giving up one ones own abilities of moving forward and focusing on revenge of the abilities that others have instead of ones own. … I guess better not to compare because continuing comparisson leads to disatisfaction… then toxic envy the more advanced form of …. this cancer of the mind.

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