Word for the day "The reality of Envy"

Genesis 4:4-5 (NKJV) Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.If you want to be a miserable person, then be an envious person. It is not necessarily a bad thing to admire something that someone else has. When we say, “I envy you. You are going on vacation,” we aren’t necessarily using envy in the worst sense of the word. That’s not the destructive kind of envy we often experience.However, to share some insight, envy is in my understanding can be destructive when someone else has something that you don’t have and it causes serious anger. A literal definition of the word envy is “a malignant or hostile feeling.” So it is not a matter of saying, “You have a lot. Wow, that is really great! I wish I had that!” Rather, it’s an attitude that says, I am actually angry with you that you have those things and I don’t have them. Do you have strands of Envy in your personality?Envy has been described as a small-town sin; it breeds on proximity. We don’t tend to envy someone who is famous and successful. Instead, we envy our neighbors, a relative, or a coworker. We are fine as long as we are all equal, as long as we are all on the same playing field. But if one begins to succeed, if one gets an opportunity we think we should have had, if one has something wonderful happen, we become envious.We don’t know exactly what caused Cain to murder his brother Abel, but I think it is safe to say that envy and anger played a part. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, and Cain’s was not. Envy unchecked can become a major problem, and Cain’s envy led to murder. Cain was not in a constructive relationship with God, so he became destructively enslaved by the Devil.Point to ponder- Shakespeare called envy the green-eyed monster, and it’s a green-eyed monster that can strangle you. If you allow yourself to be an angry person, you will give the Devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27) just as Cain did, and you will face the repercussions in your life as well. Our Leadership team is especially thankful for those of you who provided financial donations and support in the month of July 2017 by partnering with us in efforts to advance the kingdom of God in this 21st century season: Special thanks to Mr. William Wilson, Mr. David Straker, Mrs. Annette Straker, Mrs. Marguerite Williams, Ms. Gertrude Scott. Why don't you take the opportunity to write us on our blog and let us know how we are doing in serving you Great people, we'd love to hear from you! Follow me on Twitter @Elder James Baker, as I endeavor to encourage and empower leaders of today and tomorrow!Kingdom Blessings,Pastor James Baker, Jr.Thank you for using the Word Cup devotionals brought to you through Grace and Truth Leadership on (Word press). We are a faith-based, donor-supported ministry. If you have been touched by these daily devotionals, and would like to make a monthly pledge or a special gift of any amount, please use the link below to give as the Lord leads. Thank you so much!http://www.graceandtruthleadership.org/#!donate/vv9e2