Pastor Billy Beaufils

The Sickness of Envy

How to cure it…

By Rev. Dr. J. Billy Beaufils, MA, Thd

Envy is one of our worst enemies and it masquerades, oft-times, as a friend. It masquerades oft-times as a supporter. It smiles when it does not mean it. It masquerades a demonic mind that will destroy progress for the sake of destroying an individual who may be carrying the moment. If we have this disease, we need to understand what medication we need to remove it, because that disease has destroyed Haitian organizations and leadership.

Every one of us has a gift from the Creator that we must offer for the wellbeing of our brothers and sisters and their liberation. Jesus said it so beautifully: “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave” (Matthew 20:26, 27). I would like to put it this way, “He, who would love to be your leader, let him be your servant.” Those of us who, for one reason or another, are accepted as leaders must increase our ability to serve.  For it is only in serving that which is bigger than we are that we live and never die.  That which is bigger than all of us is the complete liberation and wellbeing of our people.  Many of us come with ideas and thoughts to advance the struggle of our people, but sometimes we do not know how to dialogue with another person who also has an idea.  Sometimes our egos get caught up in what we wish to propose and sometimes it blinds us to a better idea or proposal that could come from one of our Brothers or Sisters.  In the process of dialogue, we must learn to subordinate ourselves to what is best for the whole. That becomes difficult if we are moved by vain expectations.

One of the greatest leaders of our time Marcus Garvey knew and was concerned about the future.  He was not a man looking only for his own greatness, but he understood that his people were great.  In order for his idea to gradually take root among the people, that idea had to be fed to others who would wrap their being around that idea.  Then, when his physical presence was no longer there, the idea that made Marcus Garvey who he was, and is, would live.  Jesus could never die as long as the principles on which he built his life and his church were inculcated into his students and disciples.  So, the enemy is always aware of the power of ideas and is always working to reduce great men to silliness in order to obscure the power of their ideas.  To highlight Marcus Garvey’s motto or theme, “One God, one aim and one destiny,” without mention of his idea or plan to bring about that one aim, one destiny and one God, is to deliberately distort the value of that man and his ideas.

Do you know what makes us get rid of envy?  When we know that each one of us has been gifted with a gift from the Mighty Creator and none of us are on this earth without something special to offer.  None of us are alive on this planet without a gift that marks and separates us from the next person, but not separates us in the sense that we are divided, but separates us in that each of us is unique.  As Christians, we say, “God is One.” He’s One, unique, incomparable, and so are we. There are no two snowflakes alike, no two raindrops alike, and no two blades of grass alike.  Your fingerprints, footprints and voiceprints are all different from your Brother’s and Sister’s.  Each one of us has never been before and will never be again. That’s the infinite wisdom of our Mighty Creator, YHWH.