Envy Makes People Bitter

April  2026

     I recently read an article in Wisconsin Outdoor News about Milo Hanson’s world record whitetail buck. In 1993 the impressive, typical, 14 pointer scored 213 5/8 inches by Boone and Crocket. Hanson was 49 years old then and always remained modest about the accomplishment until his recent death at 81 years old. Hanson took a lot of grief from neighbors and other locals about the deer’s small frame, the girth of the antlers and his marksmanship as he missed the first running shot at the deer. He never retaliated but just took the critics in stride and reminded himself that “envy makes people bitter.”  His Saskatchewan buck still remains number one in the record books today. 
  
   Why do we do it, why do we tend toward envy of others? The simple answer: A sinful heart. Recently, I read an article by a Christian pastor that did all he could do to deface Charlie Kirk. I won’t name him because then I would be guilty of the same sin. The pastor tried to bash Kirk for associating with a known homosexual. What the pastor doesn’t understand was that Kirk, like Jesus, built relationships with sinners to win them to the gospel though mercy, grace and love. There a number of reformed homosexuals that testify to their return to godly, man/woman, relationships because of the influence and coming to a knowledge of God’s truth through Charlie Kirk. 

   I do not at all agree with the witnessing pattern of holding signs or using megaphones to tell people, from a distance, to repent or go to hell and then say they are doing that out of love.

   I recently was learning about a woman that has a ministry to strippers and the sex trafficked. She provides weekly nutritious dinners and attempts to meet medical needs of these victims of sex trafficking and human trafficking. Many of these victims are forced to do what they do by a pimp. To attempt rescue, like this woman is doing, is a dangerous undertaking. It is no wonder the local churches stand at a distance with their repent signs and criticize the woman’s ministry to the non-repentant sinners. Because of this woman’s demonstration of love, without condition, some give their life to Christ and begin the hard work of rehabilitation from the nightmare they have lived. Not one is interested in attending a church of the sign carriers. I wouldn’t be either. 
  
   I have three grandchildren and a nephew that followed Charlie Kirk for years and his influence for Jesus in their lives is amazing. They all establish relationships with their high school and college classmates and they earn friends by being friends. They do not compromise their deep faith in Jesus and they are winning their friends to the gospel of Jesus Christ by being a loving and kind friend.
  
   Look at the life of Jesus. He went into the trenches and met people’s needs, without condition, and won people though His demonstrations of loving kindness and compassion. The self-righteous, sign carrying, megaphone screamers — He called them Pharisees. 
  
   1 Peter 2:1 states, “Therefore, rid yourself of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” The “therefore” refers back to, we as followers of Christ, who are to be holy and love others deeply, from the heart. The Greek definition for deceit is “to contrive to entrap someone, treachery.” “Hypocrisy” is to be an actor on a stage. “Envy” is to be jealous and spiteful. “Slander”  is abusive speech, to confuse and deceive by false and malicious statements meant to hurt someone’s reputation.
  
   Jesus touched the lady with the bleeding issue, she was declared “unclean,” as were lepers and other sinners, by the religious people — the same as homosexuals and other sinners today. They would have nothing to do with anyone they declared unclean by the law. Apparently, there are still religious leaders, that call certain sinners unclean and will have nothing to do with them unless they first repent and make themselves clean. Jesus made the bleeding woman, the lepers and other untouchables, clean before they repented. No wonder people flocked to be around and listen to the teachings of Jesus. Guess who grew deceitful, envious, and slanderous? Yep, the religious Pharisees who were hypocrites or merely actors on a stage. 
  
   When we fall to envy, we become jealous and spiteful toward others. I recently heard of a believer who questioned the leadership of a ministry because someone else in his ministry was seemingly getting more recognition than them. When we fall to this sin, we will become envious and the festering will bring bitterness. I can relate. 

   I am the only non-recognized ministry in my church. At times that has bothered me, but I have grown to where it does not. I carry out the aspects of my ministry for the audience of one, Jesus. Pats on the back do feel good, but they don’t make a person in good standing with God. I adopted a motto for what I do from another person’s ministry. “Anything short of connecting people with the redeeming love of Jesus Christ is counterfeit.” 

   I have little to help the men incarcerated in prisons, the sexually addicted, the users of pornography, the sex trafficked and their abusers, the transgenders or the homosexuals, but I know Someone who does. Jesus the Christ. He loves them just as they are and while they were still sinning, He gave His life on a cross to pay the penalty for their sin. Connecting someone to that kind of love is the only thing that can help them and save them. 

   I have walked their walk. There was a time when no one wanted anything to do with me. I would go to church and people would avoid me. It had become public that I was a porn addict. One Sunday, a man motioned for me to sit next to him. As I did, he leaned close, put his hand on my arm and said, “this row has always been reserved for sinners.”  He was being Jesus to me and it caused me to lean more into Christ. As I trusted in Jesus and His Word, He began to lift me up and out of my bondage to porn. It was His power, not mine, that has transformed my life from sex addict to freedom from addiction and follower of Jesus. Jesus gets my 33 years of sobriety from sexual addiction pin this coming July. He gets the credit for that pin, not me. 

   Jesus, His mercy, grace and love can set you free from any bondage you have. Come to Him, as you are, follow Him and let Him lift you up.

   Lynn Fredrick is the author of “Stand Firm,” a recovery program to help transform your life by using the divine power of God’s Word.

LynnFredrick.com