day no. 16,439: you do not better your lot by belittilng another's

“Be content with thine own lot, if thou canst not better it, but do not look upon thy neighbour, and wish that he were as thyself. Love him, and then thou wilt not envy him.” — Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

Be content with what you have and work hard for what you want, but do not look long and hard at what your neighbor has as though it is what you need in order to be content. Do not go further and wish his fortune away for the sake of your envy. Your neighbor's success should not be the source of your discontent. Let God give as He sees fit and free your neighbor from your audits and your soul from its bitterness.

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Envy turns this on its head by rejoicing when others weep and weeping when others rejoice. Envy gets miffed when its neighbors get what it wanted and gets a thrill out of seeing its neighbors deprived of what it desired. It would rather be assuaged by no one having what it wants than become grateful for a God who would give it to someone else.

All that to say, better your lot if you can and be content with the one that you currently have, but do not attempt to better your lot by belittling another's.