Activate Abundance 1: Overcome Envy in Ministry

We talked a few weeks ago about “starting the clap” (blog, podcast), and I wanted to continue the discussion, maybe take it further. Beyond leaving behind competition, let’s crush the scarcity mentality and activate abundance in the entire Body of Christ.  It’s not about me, it’s not about you, it’s about SOULS and expanding the kingdom of God! Step one: overcome envy in ministry - and to be honest, overcome envy in life!

What do I mean when I say “scarcity mentality”? Scarcity means “insufficiency or shortness of supply”. Scarcity is the opposite of abundance which is what Christ offers to us (John 10:10).  When we adopt a “scarcity mentality”, we adopt a wrong way of thinking that there is not enough to go around, and the downward spiral begins: “if you are winning, it must mean that I am losing”, “if you are loved, it must mean that I am unloved”, “if you are successful, it must mean that I am not successful”.  All of that is a lie from the enemy of your soul meant to isolate you and create competition between you and people who are on your team. Makes it impossible for you to “start the clap”. 

Even though Christ means for us to live in abundance, it can be hard for some of us to recognize that abundance for one really and truly does mean abundance for all.  God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), what He is offering to one He really does offer to all.  There is no competition, there is always enough, God’s gifts are abundant. 

When we leave the scarcity mentality and truly recognize that the abundant life means abundant life, we realize that all of us can win, and we’ll actually want all of us to win! (And that’s just like God, isn’t it?  To actually mean what He says?  Make this thing called Christian discipleship easy on us to understand? Don’t overcomplicate, don’t overthink, don’t make this hard: you can celebrate what is happening in others because you recognize that their success doesn’t mean less for you.

Now let’s take the next step: actually desire for others to succeed! Pray for others’ success and see God enlarge their impact—for His glory.

Praying for Others Will Help You Overcome Envy

Praying for someone else’s success shifts our perspective from comparison to collaboration, from scarcity mentality to abundance mentality.  Watch this shift: “if you are winning, it must mean that I am winning too - we are on the same team!”. Envy thrives in the space where we focus on what we don’t have, measuring our worth against another’s achievements. When we lift others up in prayer, our hearts align with God’s purposes (and as a side bonus, our own insecurities are diminished in the joy!). Sincere prayer trains us to see blessings as abundant, not scarce.  Sincere prayer reminds us that celebrating someone else’s victories does not lessen our own. Actually - it cultivates excitement and gratitude for the ways God is already working in our lives.

Beyond perspective, prayer actively reshapes our hearts. When we sincerely ask God to bless others—to expand their impact, increase their influence, and empower their gifts—we begin to release control, comparison, and jealousy. We recognize that God’s kingdom is bigger than any one of us, and His plan for someone else’s success does not compete with ours. Over time, praying for others transforms envy into joy, replacing the subtle poison of resentment with a spirit of partnership and celebration. This is how the Body of Christ thrives: through mutual encouragement, support, and a shared desire to see God glorified in every life. 

I could expand on this, but the Lord already inspired better writers than me to illustrate and drive home this principle - why put ruffles on the stars?  Here’s some Scripture to put in your pocket as you break envy and pray for others:

Scripture Warnings Against Envy:

• James 3:14–16 – “But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth… For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
• Proverbs 14:30 – “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”
• Galatians 5:26 – “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Prayers in Scripture that Bless Ministry Impact

• 1 Timothy 2:1 – Paul urges Timothy to pray for others: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”
• Philippians 1:3–5, Paul prays with joy because of the partnership of others in the gospel: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,  for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now”
• Colossians 1:9–10 – Paul continually prays that others “may be filled with the knowledge of his will… bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Who needs more than that?  Plain vanilla wonderful already!

Prayers in Scripture that Break Envy

• Job 42:10 – “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends.”
• Matthew 5:44 – “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (If prayer changes your heart toward enemies, it will certainly soften it toward fellow laborers!)
• Romans 12:14–15 – “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

Rejoicing in Others’ Ministry Success

• 1 Corinthians 3:6–7 – “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (All success belongs to God—so we can rejoice when He prospers another’s work.)
• Philippians 1:15–18 – Paul rejoices even when others preach Christ from rivalry: “Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”
• Romans 12:10 – “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Prayers in Scripture for Expanding Others’ Influence

• 2 Thessalonians 3:1 – “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you.”
• Ephesians 6:18–20 – Paul asks for prayer that he and all the saints may boldly proclaim the gospel: “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak”
• Psalm 115:14–15 – “May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”

These verses together give a strong biblical framework: prayer not only blesses others but also frees us from envy, reshaping our hearts to celebrate what God is doing through someone else. Prayer shifts our focus from comparison to collaboration, from competition to Kingdom partnership. It’s hard to stay jealous when you’re sincerely praying for someone else!  It’s hard to be in competition with someone who you want to see win!

There was a preacher I followed in my younger days, and he used to say something that I always remember: “what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you!” When I couple that with powerful Scripture about prayer like the above, I’m inspired by the abundance that Christ offers - and I realize that praying for others makes me part of something bigger than me. The abundance that Christ means for all of us is realized in my life, and I rejoice when I see His abundance in the lives of those around me. 

Let’s pray for each other today - because the dropping the scarcity mentality in exchange for an abundance mentality is a treasure!

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