So Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do no know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

Genesis 4:8-9

God challenges Cain to remove the envy that is in his heart, but Cain ignores God’s words. Instead of getting rid of envy, he nurtures it. He leas his brother out into the field and kills him. When God asks Cain about his brother, Cain responds with the famous line, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Like Adam, Cain fails to admit his sin to God. 

Envy is not jealousy. Jealousy means we want the good things others have. Envy though means we want to destroy the good things others have without ever possessing them ourselves. Envy leads to death. It brings death to our souls and death to our relationships.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the envy in your heart. Tell God you don’t want it in there. Today, express praise for the person or people you are tempted to envy.