ENVY

I was having my quiet time on the 29th of October, 2015 when the Lord made me understand just with one verse of the bible how envy begins and ends. I'll love to share it with you:
"And when Rachael saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachael envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die" (Genesis 30:1).
This single verse of the bible was exposed by the Holy Spirit and He started by saying "Envy begins with seeing". The truth is you cannot envy what you've never seen, or what you've never thought of before. You can see with your physical eyes and with the eyes of your heart too (thoughts).
"And when Rachael SAW... ", she saw and then her 'seeing' led to her pondering on many pros and cons of her not having children, this brought about comparison between her state and that of her sister which further birthed envy. I'm sure in course of living in this world we've seen so many things: money, young millionaires, men with beautiful wives, women with 'tall, rich and handsome' husbands, latest models of cars, luxurious homes, men and women of reputation, titles and many others. But beloved, permit me to tell you that if you see these things and don't begin to compare yourself with their possessors, you would not end in the ditch of envy. Envy is the end point of discontentment. When you SEE and compare with yourself, then you begin to see your inadequacies and end up in an unholy craving for those things you saw.... envy has come!
Now notice... "and [Rachael] said to Jacob". Rachael did not say anything to her sister, she did not say anything to God, she said to Jacob whom she was closest to at that time... "Give me child, or else I die"... Envy begets violence, whether you like it or not, it never allows you to ask God to bless you as He blessed that neighbor, it will not even allow you to celebrate with that neighbor. No matter how small that seed of envy is now, it will one day lead to violence, destruction and even death... "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" (James 3:16).
Out of envy, Rachael voiced out a threat of death to her beloved husband if he did not give her a child "now!". We must note that our words are very powerful, we build or destroy ourselves by the words we release everyday. Gehazi was cursed even to his generations as a result of envy. In fact the generations of Dathan, Korah and Abiram were completely wiped out. Envy will always end in destruction and violence so let's beware and with the help of the Holy Spirit expel every trace of it no matter how insignificant it might be.
God bless you...

Ikpa Onwuka.