The Vanity of Envy

Our text says, “Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor.” This is envy that is based upon covetousness or malice. Here is a person who has done his job or executed his work with skill; he has done the job in the right way, and because he has been successful, he is envied by those who either cannot do what he has done, or will not do what he has done because of lack of their own diligence. There are some people who do not appreciate a person who can do something that they cannot do. They wish they could do it, and because they cannot, then they have thoughts and feelings which are sinfully bad toward the one who can. This is something that all of us need to deal with in ourselves. The way that we deal with it, is with the grace and help of Christ. This afternoon I would like to first commend to all of us here the beauty and excellence of skillful work. And then secondly I would like us to consider the vanity of anyone envying those who are able to do what they cannot do, or have not done.