Do any christians struggle with this?

Question

Do you struggle with coveting jealousy envy and comparing your self to others and do you feel like you struggle more than others do?, What are ways that you overcome this because to be honest I struggle bigtime with this one.

Answer 1

I believe the way you can overcome this, is to be really grateful for what God has done for you, and the person He has made you to be.

When you have a revelation of this, (and ask God for a fresh revelation), you will be secure in it all.

Pray and look up all the Scriptures of who you are in Christ, and all that He has done for you!

Answer 2

Everyone does these things. It's human nature, unfortunately.

The fact that you struggle to overcome them makes you an ethically positive person, even if you don't succeed sometimes. Remember, it's also human nature to make mistakes. You try not to; that's the important thing.

You also have honesty on your side. This is a huge asset, one that not too many people have. It's already helping you deal with your issues by asking for help here.

I know this will sound shallow and strange, but why not take comfort in the knowledge that you at least have the capacity to be honest about yourself and resist those urges?

You're doing all the right things. As bad as things can get, knowing that you're trying will give you strength and the right kind of self-confidence.

One thing that you could try (but don't have to) is the direct approach: if you are envious of someone close to you, tell them. You might be surprised by the response of someone who cares about you.

If you're envious of someone you aren't close to, bear in mind that there's no guranteed formula for happiness, even for someone who seems to be more successful than you are. Everyone has issues of some kind, some of them serious. I'm betting that even if you could become the person you envy, you would find that your new life was not better than the former one, and in some ways much worse. Too much success, if not properly handled, can wreck a person. It's the old "power corrupts" saying rephrased for this situation.

Wow, I hope that all helps. I ramble some times.

Hang in there!!!

Answer 3

Many Christians deal with this issue, mainly because we are human and want the best for ourselves and our families. But there is nothing wrong with wanting the best. The problem lies when we are wanting "That thing". Example, my neighbor has a new car. I may want one like it, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if I say "I want his car" and make a plan to steal it or another unethical way of getting it, then I have coveted. The issue of envy is difficult and so is comparing yourself to others. But we must understand that God made us the way we were for a reason. We are all called to be a part of the body. Granted we may end up being the elbow, but what hand could do any work without the elbow to assist it. I am a Youth Pastor and in no way am I any better than the person who cleans the church on the weekend. We all play a part in God's plan.
Take your strengths and talents. Use them for God's glory. If you are not sure how your talents can be used, then ask God for guidance.
I will tell you what I tell my students. Timothy was not a big guy nor was he a great scholar. But God took Timothy, being so young, and used him in a great way. Don't let anyone despise you. You have talent, you have favor, you are a child of the Almighty God. Rejoice in that fact. Struggle will come, but grow in adversity. Gain knowledge, for you may be the one that God uses to minister to someone who is dealing with an issue like yours and needs guidance from someone who has dealt with it also. God will use you. May you be blessed.

Answer 4

Prayer is always a good thing, but you must also concentrate on yourself instead of everybody else, taking stock of the things you have, your talents, your skills, all the things that make you the wonderful person you are.

Decide on what you want to be in the future, career, personality, education and what you have to do to get there. Do some volunteer work for those less fortunate than you. Helping the poor is a real eye opener. You will realize you have more than you think.

While you're spending time examining yourself, building your life into the best possible life you can, helping others and being thankful for the things you have, you won't have much time to check out what everybody else is doing.

I taught at a ministry of inner city women who struggled with similar issues and many more. Every week I would tell them to look in the mirror each day and say, "You are truly a wonderful person." Eventually they started to believe.

Answer 5

I think humility is the key here. Take an honest look inward and assess how humble you are. Do you follow Paul's admonition in Philippians 2:3 "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself" ?

My experience tells me that a humble person, who places others (including unbelievers!) at a higher stature than him or herself, understands that there is no point in coveting, being jealous or envious. I think we all struggle with these things, to a certain degree.

Peace.

Answer 6

I don't know what others are going through, so I don't know if I struggle more than they, but as a Christian I struggle in the areas too, everyone does, whether they admit it or not.

Don't worry, it's a part of living in this world that we have to deal with, all we can do is pray and have faith, then we'll overcome.

Answer 7

Absolutely, we all struggle with various things like that. I personally don't have the jealousy, or coveting problem. I have had a problem with comparing myself to others though. My pastor says something to us on Sundays at church that really hit home with me, maybe it will help you. He tells us that when he looks at us he doesn't see the person, he sees Christ. When you are a born again Christian, you are covered in the blood of Christ which allows God to look at you. I think it's so cool that God sees Jesus when he looks at me, cause now, I don't worry about how I stack up to others. I stack up just great to the only one who matters!!

Answer 8

Yea, it's just Satan condemning you for who you are. God made you the way you are. That doesn't mean you don't need to change with certain things, but you need to know that you are the way you are because God made you that way. God puts different kinds of people in your life so you can have a balance. You and everyone around you mesh well together. You can learn from each other, but you don't need to become like one another. I think we all struggle with different things in our Christian lives and anyone who says they don't struggle is deceiving themselves. We all sin and will never be perfect, but that's why Jesus died for us so we can be forgiven. Don't feel like you struggle more than anyone else, because everyone has struggles, it's keeping your eye on God that will help you through it.

Answer 9

The thing I don't like the most is people thinking Christians don't struggle with things like envy, jealously and even sex, but we do. I think we mess up more because we realize these negative traits within ourselves. I try to have a power verse committed to memory to think on when I'm feeling jealous like Ecclesiastes 4:4
and it helps me to get refocused. But I know if I do fail that God's grace covers all my sins.

Answer 10

All christians have somethings they struggle with, some more than others. I know what you mean, I have my own struggles. But I think what the point is, is that we need to learn to trust fully in God, and to not be afraid to ask for His help. The bible says that " all have fallen", and that "the road is narrow". But He also tells us that no matter what, He will "never leave us or forsake us". This is what I trust in for me when the road gets tough. That, and holding onto the hope that we have to see Him again someday soon. It will be wonderful, don't you think? God Bless you. I will pray for you that you find the strength you need in God to deal with your struggles. They may never totally go away, but He is always there to help us through them and to learn from them and to use that to hopefully help others.