1 Corinthians 13:4b love does not envy

I am not sure but it just might be that many of us mistake envy here for covet. The reason I say this is because we often look at what others have materially and wish we had one also. It might be a new car, a bigger home, an awesome home entertainment center, or a dozen things that are nicer than what we have. Isn’t that more in line with covetousness?

Rather than looking at the possessions look at the person who has what you want? Envy focusses on the possessor not the possession. Envy says I want to be like him/her. Envy does not want things, it says I am unhappy with who I am and I want to be like that.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

If you are His then you are being conformed into the image of Christ. Why would you settle for anything less? Even if the person you envy is a leading Christian personality like a Billy Graham, they are still not Christ, they are still imperfect, admirable perhaps but still less than perfect. Christ is perfect.

So what is the harm here? Are we not to give honor where honor is due? Yes, but honor is not envy. The real danger is in being so focused on what the Holy Spirit has done in others that you ignore what He is trying to accomplish in you.

1 Corinthians 12:31a But covet earnestly the best gifts:

I have been in churches that covet the power gifts to their own detriment because they failed to believe the second half of this verse.

1 Corinthians 12:31b and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

This is where we are now, in love.