Envy

It is the final of the men's 100 metres butterfly at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. MATT BIONDI, the favourite, is flanked by his rivals ANDY JAMESON and MICHAEL GROSS.

When he sees that he is ahead of them both, he relaxes and doesn't take that final stroke. It's a terrible mistake; he doesn't see ANDY NESTY coming up from behind. Andy finishes first and wins the gold medal.

One of life's greatest dangers is looking at others and not at ourselves. Constantly watching others can make us lose sight of our own goals.  It's much worse when we keep our eyes on others out of envy; this "green-eyed monster" can destroy our lives so easily.

Saul's biggest problem. Saul was King of Israel, but his troubles began when he envied one of his subjects: David.

In the end he became obsessed with everything David did, and he died a victim of his own meanness, having never accepted the friendship that David offered him so many times. Envy followed him to the grave.

Shakespeare calls envy "the green-eyed monster that mocks the meat it feeds on". Envy only poisons the one who feels it; it can't take anything away from the person envied.

Envy fights to control the person who allows it into his life. It steals his sleep, happiness, and concentration, and brings with it sadness, melancholy, depression and desire for revenge. Envy is the worst enemy you can have in the house.

That's not all; envy is the greatest destroyer of friendship. Friends of many years' standing have drifted apart because one of them began to envy the other.

Never envy a friend; enjoy his success instead. Don't forget that you lose a friend when he becomes your enemy.

Don't fill your heart with envy; fix your eyes on Jesus, who is the only one we need to look at in any situation or difficulty. Only He can vanquish sin, only he can make you see others with purity and gratitude.

Don't forget that the best antidote for envy is gratitude.