18. How Worship Neutralizes Envy

Why do other people’s lives always seem better?

In this teaching on Psalm 73, John Ortberg explores envy, comparison, resentment, worship, and the deep human struggle of feeling overlooked while others seem to prosper.

The psalmist honestly confesses:
“I envied the arrogant.”

What follows is one of the most emotionally honest prayers in the Psalms — a prayer about jealousy, discouragement, unfairness, and the exhausting habit of comparing our lives to everyone else around us.

This episode explores:
- Why comparison distorts reality
- Social media, envy, and modern dissatisfaction
- Worship as perspective restoration
- The turning point of Psalm 73
- Why gratitude disappears when envy grows
- “It is good to be near God”

This teaching is deeply practical, psychologically insightful, and spiritually grounding.

Scriptures:
- Psalm 73

#Psalm73 #JohnOrtberg #Prayer #Worship #Envy #Comparison #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Psalms


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Music Credits:
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00:00 Introduction & “Where’s the Beef?”
00:28 Pouring Out Envy Honestly to God
00:45 Psalm 73 Begins
01:13 “I Envied the Arrogant”
01:35 Why Other People’s Lives Look Better
02:08 “They’re Really Happy”
02:32 Comparing, Resenting & Complaining
03:18 “Surely in Vain Have I Kept My Heart Pure”
03:45 The Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” Illustration
04:11 Why Life Feels Unfair
04:36 The Turning Point: Entering the Sanctuary
05:15 Worship Restores Perspective
06:01 Nothing Changed… Yet Everything Changed
06:28 “Afterward You Will Take Me Into Glory”
06:55 The “D in Chemistry” Perspective Story
07:39 Worship as a Way of Life
08:09 What Worship Does to the Soul
08:31 What Happens When We Stop Worshiping
09:19 Learning to Meet God Throughout the Day
10:15 “It Is Good to Be Near God”
11:11 “I Will Tell of All Your Deeds”