Book Reviews

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Christian-Living

Envy: A Big Problem You Didn’t Know You have

One of my peculiar hobbies is exploring upcoming book releases on publisher sites, and occasionally, I stumble upon new books that excite me. One such book is Envy: A Big Problem You Didn’t Know You Had by Mike Fabarez. This book piqued my interest because I struggle with envy, and resources that address it are sparse.

Envy is neglected in the church and overlooked by many Christians. It has become a respectable sin that might slightly bother us but does not bring forth grief and repentance. And this attitude towards envy may lead us to underestimate its evilness and grave consequences.

In this book, Fabarez endeavors to expose the seriousness and deadliness of envy and help Christians battle it. He says, “It is my prayer that by a little biblically guided exposure to this threat, we can become vigilant, prepared, and equipped to stand strong against the captain of a legion of sins that I’m confident is causing more damage and a bigger problem in our Christian lives than we currently realize.”

Fabarez begins the book by defining envy using the original Greek word and illustrating its impact on biblical characters like Saul and Cain. He then explains three distinct costs of envy in our lives: internal, relational, and societal.

Internally, envy breeds resentment, anger, and bitterness that, if left unchecked, leads to severe consequences, like Cain murdering his brother. In this section, Fabarez also explains the differences between jealousy, coveting, and envy and their dangers. Relationally, Fabarez explores how envy destroys our relationships. He says, “When envy gets in between me and that person, it results in bad hateful words, actions, and innuendos that do nothing but ensure the destruction of whatever relationship might be left.” For the societal cost, Fabarez explores how envy can damage an entire society.

The final chapters examine three strategies Christians can employ to counteract envy. The first strategy is through evaluation. Fabarez urges readers to search their hearts and see what we crave so intensely that it might lead to envy. The second strategy involves love. True love does not envy; you cannot love the one you envy. Fabarez beautifully illustrates this with a parent’s love for their child. Parents rarely resent their children’s success or envy their good fortune. On the contrary, they rejoice with their children and root for their success. This leads to the final strategy: rejoicing with those who rejoice.

This section was particularly impactful for me. Fabarez posits that to combat envy, we must learn to celebrate others’ wins, especially when we crave what they have. Fabarez makes an important point here that struck and convicted me. He emphasizes that when we resent people for their blessings, we really resent God, from whom all good things flow.

He writes, “When you get hostile or harsh toward the one who has what you want, you need to remember they wouldn’t have it if God hadn’t granted it to them.” It is God who gives and withholds; to envy what God has given others is to sin against Him. We must learn to praise God for His gifts in our lives and the lives of others.

The book concludes with a beautiful reminder that one day, God will make all things new, and sin—including envy—will be no more. Amen!

Envy is a convicting, easy-to-read, and biblically sound book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It offers practical tools to combat this insidious sin and encourages me to overcome it. If you want to confront the envy lurking in your heart, this book is an excellent resource, and I highly recommend it.

Moody Publishers graciously gave me a review copy for an honest review.

Buy from Amazon and WTS Books here!
  Grace and peace to you!
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Envy

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Audrey, I am a sojourner and slave of Christ.

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