Envy

So this was part of an exchange I saw on facebook the other night.  First the original comment

 

Just watched a lady spend $1,381.06 on gift wrap, ribbon, and tags at The Container Store. Wow!

 

Now, upon reading that, my mouth initially kind of fell open.  I can't quite wrap my brain around spending that kind of money on wrapping paper, but to each her own.  Then I started reading the comments below it.  I highlighted the ones of those that made my mouth fall open again.

•  Oh my!!!

   
•  ????!!!!! Mouth just fell open. I wanna be at her house on Christmas ... the gifts have either got to be AWESOME or from the Dollar Tree.

   
•  Hmmmm

   
•  What tha what???!

   
• Maybe it was for an organization or something (she said, hopefully)?

   
•  That would be nice, WL, but it was all for her family. She was rather boastful and quite proud of herself.

   
•  I don't spend that much on gifts. Good grief!
 
•  That is obscene! People are crazy!

   
•   What a waste!

   
•  You owe it to yourself, and to society, to find that lady and set her gift wrap and ribbons on fire.

   
•  Crazy........

   
•  I have a paper shredder...

   
•  and you didn't try to stop her - have her committed? citizen's arrest for insanity?

   
•  But how much family can you have even to spoil with that much paper@supplies?!

   
•  Maybe she bought a TON of gifts for needy children in the area and wanted them to be wrapped nicely!

   
• Ridiculous!!

   
•  She was nuts! She said it was all for her family. She went on and on about how she has "people" who wrap all of her gifts and how she was trying to save them the trouble of having to return to the store several times for more paper like they did last year. She was also wearing more makeup than I wear in a month. Ha!

   
•  Bless her lil heart

   
Understand what I'm saying here.  I get that the comments I highlighted were said with some sarcasm, but it's the undertone of envy that really bothers me.  Because, in reality, the cashier at the Container Store probably should have hugged this woman for helping her keep a job.  I mean the Container Store is in the business of selling this stuff.  Then we have the people who make this paper and supplies, she's helping them keep a job.  And furthermore, the "people" who wrap her gifts.  So instead of being appalled at what others are spending, let's be thankful someone is spending and keeping the economy going and feels confident enough about the world to spend $1,300 on wrapping paper.
 
I think our society has determined that envy is ok, that judging what others have is ok.  Not only that, but we don't want to work to have what others have, we just don't want them to have it.  There seems to be an underlying feeling that we all should be the same, have the same, no matter what.  I just think we need to be really careful when we start demonizing others because of their possessions.  This isn't to preach, it's a reminder to myself, because I've been guilty of this very thing.  But I want to be purposeful in my thoughts not to be envious of others' possessions, lives, or circumstances. 
 
Proverbs 14:30 ESV     A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.