Francine had such an ugly, envious attitude. “Hmmph, I’m sure I would have done it better.” This was her regular comment whenever someone in her class got praised for doing well at a project or task. Rather than praise the good work done by her classmates and rejoice with them over their success, she criticized them and allowed her envy to eat her up all the time.
People become jealous and envious when they desire the other person’s success or advantage. A good example in the Bible was King Saul who became envious of David, because of how the people praised him for defeating Goliath (1 Samuel 18:7). And as a result of his envy, he tried to kill David (1 Samuel 19:10).
When you see those who are doing well and are being praised for their work, be genuinely excited for them and rejoice with them! Rather than becoming envious or critical, look out for what you can learn from them to improve yourself. Don’t be threatened by the prosperity or success of others; be happy for them, and celebrate them the way you’d like to be celebrated.
