Envy. Jealousy. These patterns of your girl’s heart can idle veiled under the surface for quite some time before they begin to cause the forward signs of destruction in her thinking and relationships. How can you spot the early signs of an envious heart? It can be as small and instantaneous as “must be nice.”  

Whether a sibling, a friend, or someone she doesn’t even know—“must be nice” is the subtle retort when anyone accomplishes what she wants for herself.  

The next time you hear the early seedlings of jealousy from her, offer an alternative: replace it with “God has given you a wonderful gift!” or “Teach me about your journey.” One is praise and the other curiosity—both are far healthier than the brooding greed of envy and jealousy.  

Ecclesiastes 4:4, Proverbs 14:30 

Listen to the Raising Godly Girls Minute with Patti Garibay: