{"id":1784,"date":"2023-05-09T13:56:46","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T13:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/?p=1784"},"modified":"2026-04-14T06:20:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:20:23","slug":"envys-destructive-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/envys-destructive-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Envy\u2019s Destructive Path"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-ca5ff7a6 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div style=\"font-size:24px;\" class=\"has-text-align-center has-link-color adobe-reg-italic wp-elements-85a8a21107b8ee66b96e773a6aa630b7 wp-block-post-date has-text-color has-web-light-green-color\"><time datetime=\"2023-05-09T13:56:46+00:00\">May 9, 2023<\/time><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"color:#ffffff; font-size:45px;font-style:normal;font-weight:600;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:4px;\" class=\"has-text-align-center has-link-color proxima-font wp-elements-8489a226fd32958d683121eb2fa02d00 wp-block-post-title has-text-color\">Envy\u2019s Destructive Path<\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-f9721db0 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-133725f0f70d711850f087cd64d3f84d\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">By Denise Shick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"adobe-reg blog-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-176683b74bedeedf9da73238cd6ac284\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\"><em>For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/biblia.com\/bible\/esv\/James%203.16\">James 3:16<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-083d26a07f209d1d682d9098d056f830\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">God desires us to see ourselves as he sees us a male or female He wove together. He made each of us with special gifts, skills, and interests to be used for His glory. When we get too focused on the things we want that we don\u2019t have, even admiration of the other gender can lead to destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-52214f5fca6d6372370c7b98a47bf8cd\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>Jump to Section<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"font-size:18px\" class=\"blog-link wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#you-shall-not-covet\">You Shall Not Covet\u2026Anything<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#the-danger-of-desire\">The Danger of Desire<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#envy-and-gender-confusion\">Envy and Gender Confusion<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#lived-in-hell\">Chris Beck, \u201cI Lived in Hell for 10 Years\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#facts-about-gender-dysphoria\">Facts about Gender Dysphoria<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#risky-behaviors\">Risky Behaviors<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#vulnerable-to-stress\">Vulnerable to Stress<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#gods-prescription-for-well-being\">God\u2019s Prescription for Well-Being<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#god-only-creates-very-good\">God Only Creates \u201cVery Good\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#see-yourself-as-god-sees-you\">See Yourself as God Sees You<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#see-yourself-as-beloved-by-god\">See Yourself as Beloved by God<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#replace-envy-with-love\">Replace Envy with Love<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/#finally-replace-envy-with-praise\">Finally Replace Envy with Praise<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8d3df2bf8dcb0a9ea17afb86741a9d75\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>YOU SHALL NOT COVET \u2026 ANYTHING<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f8a554bf47ea0b4414b44e18670c2908\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">When God delivered the tenth commandment on Mount Sinai, he added a sweeping conclusion to the simple beginning: \u201cYou shall not covet \u2026 anything that belongs to your neighbor\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/biblia.com\/bible\/esv\/Exod%2020.17\">Exodus 20:17<\/a>). Why add&nbsp;<em>anything<\/em>? Maybe God wanted to emphasize that any desire can morph into envy, and envy opens the door to a parade of other sins: anger, bitterness, obsession, even murder. As James said, envy leads to \u201cevery vile practice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8fda6631499dce0e73f928b866dc312f\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>THE DANGER OF DESIRE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cb5d5a74a599877f2f15a00d404ba25d\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">James also cautioned his readers about the danger of desire: \u201cBut each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it is conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death\u201d (1:14\u201315).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg bolg-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4cf492613df129ae16e6d89eda7a8786\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">The Hebrew word translated&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org\/lexicon\/h2530\/esv\/wlc\/0-1\/\">\u201ccovet\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/biblia.com\/bible\/esv\/Exod%2020.17\">Exodus 20:17<\/a>&nbsp;means to desire or to take pleasure in something in an&nbsp;<em>ungoverned, unrestrained way.&nbsp;<\/em>What starts as&nbsp;admiration\u2014\u201ca feeling of mingled wonder, esteem\u201d\u2014becomes desire, or covetousness, when we focus too intently and too exclusively on a person or object or goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6b945066be0ef74e3270ea92431d15ad\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>ENVY AND GENDER CONFUSION<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cca14297bf9b4c758bdce0728eb64950\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">Every human being struggles with envy, and any battle with envy can lead to \u201cevery vile practice.\u201d And those who suffer from gender confusion are no exception. They often develop an unhealthy focus on the opposite sex. What they admire about that person increases their discomfort with their own biological gender. That admiration can lead to desire, which leads to envy. The envy may manifest in cross-dressing at first but can lead to harmful hormonal treatments and surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f890b9c31e9f0ec52899f9fef509303c\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>CHRIS BECK, \u201cI LIVED IN HELL FOR 10 YEARS\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d00fcef027c1966148baa03460e943fd\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">Chris Beck, a 56-year-old Navy SEAL combat veteran, lived as a woman for ten years. His spiral downward from admiration to envy to lust began before he admitted to a psychologist that wearing women\u2019s clothing made him feel comfortable. But when that so-called expert convinced Beck he was transgender, he underwent hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery in his quest for fulfillment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg blog-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7531c8e5871935cfe2bf26f680424169\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">When Beck announced in 2022 that he was detransitioning,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/i-lived-in-hell-for-the-past-10-years-navy-seal-veteran-detransitions-after-decade-living-as-a-woman_4927678.html\">he told Time magazine journalist Louise Chambers<\/a>, \u201cI have lived in hell for the past 10 years. \u2026 I look back and see how I destroyed everything in my life that was holy, the temple of God, our bodies, what we have here.\u201d He also \u201csuffered symptoms of trauma including depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg blog-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8ed4e4bab0aeaf4530529ea2e327117e\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">Unfortunately, Beck is not an exception. Other former transgenders, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/252376\/chloe-cole-leading-fight-to-protect-children-from-transgender-surgeries\">Chloe Cole<\/a>, admit that the hormonal treatments and surgeries did not provide the physical, mental, or emotional well-being that psychologists and surgeons promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-86c62e332e2ae6c8d7cc731edfc3e7f6\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>FACTS ABOUT GENDER DYSPHORIA<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a9be85a5dd3ec64a96daa944ddac3c84\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">I\u2019m not disputing that some people suffer from gender dysphoria. They do. But our culture and many medical professionals now encourage these confused individuals, as young as ten, to act on their desires in life-altering, destructive ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-135f7ac15527d3fa73c16dc20a25c9bd\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>RISKY BEHAVIORS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg blog-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-36475fe48c1acca4b0865c3b8e310c79\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/publications\/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know\">NIMH<\/a>&nbsp;(National Institute of Mental Health) states on its website that the brain \u201cdoes not finish developing and maturing until the mid-to-late 20s. The front part of the brain, called the prefrontal cortex, is one of the last brain regions to mature. This area is responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing, and controlling impulses. Because these skills are still developing, teens are more likely to engage in risky behaviors without considering the potential results of their decisions.\u201d If this is true, then why are medical professionals pushing hormonal treatments on kids as young as 12 or 13?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-91bebd3dc1745a34a649a90ba53934d4\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>VULNERABLE TO STRESS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3ef498a341dde9a985edb2e286f9320d\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">The same webpage affirms that \u201cmany mental disorders may begin to appear during adolescence\u201d and the teen brain \u201cmay be more vulnerable to stress.\u201d So again, if this is true, why would medical professionals recommend treatments and procedures that could aggravate mental disorders and increase stress?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b47fd7ffcbf2cbda8c49a22196ec7078\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>GOD\u2019S PRESCRIPTION FOR WELL-BEING<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ff0ab6e62414058eb638a4d2e96ad474\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">To say that hormonal treatments and invasive surgeries are the only way, the best way, or even a way to address gender dysphoria is wrong. The God who designed the human body and fashioned every neuron in our brain is the one who can best lead us toward wholeness and wellness. As Beck noted in his interview with Time, once he reconnected with God, he was able to see the destructive path he had taken by allowing his desire to become envy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a46c37df6b2c1c8413fa31d411866be9\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>GOD ONLY CREATES \u201cVERY GOOD\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg blog-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bef66e94edb7a59e1c1f67802998c5bc\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">Envy is the fruit of dissatisfaction, so the first step is to make peace with the person God created us to be. Just as he looked at every single part of the created realm and pronounced it \u201cvery good,\u201d he looks at each one of us and says, \u201cvery good\u201d (See&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/biblia.com\/bible\/esv\/Gen%201.31\">Genesis 1:31<\/a>). If we are envious of someone\u2019s athleticism or intellect, we are basically saying to God, \u201cIn this aspect, you did not make me \u2018very good.\u2019\u201d When a gender-confused person is envious of the opposite sex, that individual is saying to God, \u201cThe way you designed me is not \u2018very good.\u2019 I can do a better job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9a3a9a3969e94f70eefed168c15bfd4e\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fdf726c0171c932f26aa6b895fb2eaa1\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">Ask God to help you see yourself as he sees you\u2014the male or female he wove together in your mother\u2019s womb, the person he gifted with a set of skills and interests that can be used for his glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e62c72c5ebcb172bb9feb3e095567a50\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>SEE YOURSELF AS BELOVED BY GOD<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg blog-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a91fc55c76183c85cf5f34857eb4578c\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">Second, God loves you\u2014the person he created, not some person you fantasize about becoming. He demonstrated that love by sending Jesus to die for you so you could live in relationship with him. \u201cThis is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/biblia.com\/bible\/esv\/1%20John%204.9\">1 John 4:9<\/a>).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-56b905e64f1ea1637b8d06ec45f29768\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>REPLACE ENVY WITH LOVE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg blog-link has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b509335aaff8f5d46f7b2c2954d3f901\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">Third, recognize that envy is the opposite of love.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/biblia.com\/bible\/esv\/1%20Cor%2013.4\">First Corinthians 13:4<\/a>&nbsp;says, \u201cLove is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.\u201d Ask God to replace the envy in your heart with love for him, which will help you love yourself and others in a way that honors him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading proxima-font has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3673d8b3d32794cd69104ad3b74fbc4f\" style=\"color:#4a4a4a;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase\"><strong>FINALLY REPLACE ENVY WITH PRAISE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"adobe-reg has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d8be200265f2ee3931a01b56b9017576\" style=\"color:#1a1a1ab3;font-size:18px;letter-spacing:0px\">God created desire, that \u201cfeeling of mingled wonder, esteem.\u201d Satan, of course, wants to twist that gift into something ugly and destructive\u2014an obsession with what God didn\u2019t give us. Don\u2019t allow him to lead you down that path toward \u201cevery vile practice.\u201d Instead, let the gift of desire lead you to praise the One who gave it to you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"blog-link\">Source:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.meek.ly\/emotions\/envys-destructive-path\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"gsp_post_data\" \r\n\t            data-post_type=\"post\" \r\n\t            data-cat=\"uncategorized\" \r\n\t            data-modified=\"120\"\r\n\t            data-created=\"1683640606\"\r\n\t            data-title=\"Envy\u2019s Destructive Path\" \r\n\t            data-home=\"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Denise Shick For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.&nbsp;James 3:16 God desires us to see ourselves as he sees us a male or female He wove together. He made each of us with special gifts, skills, and interests to be used for His glory. When we &#8230; <a title=\"Envy\u2019s Destructive Path\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/envys-destructive-path\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Envy\u2019s Destructive Path\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Denise","author_link":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/author\/denise\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Denise Shick For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.&nbsp;James 3:16 God desires us to see ourselves as he sees us a male or female He wove together. He made each of us with special gifts, skills, and interests to be used for His glory. When we&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1784"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1828,"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784\/revisions\/1828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingstonesministries.org\/help4families\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}