Why People Envy Those Who Bring Development

(A long read, but worth your time, please read to the end.)

I once listened to one of the preachings of Apostle Joshua Selman titled “The Spirit of Envy” which he gave in Kenya last year August. It was a message that didn’t just touch the surface of human behavior, it pierced deep into the truth about why people often resent those who carry the vision to build, change, and develop. Apostle Selman shared that one of the strangest battles of destiny is not against enemies from afar, but from those who should have been your biggest supporters. Those who should clap for you are often the ones who quietly hope you fail, not because you have done anything wrong, but because your progress exposes their comfort in mediocrity.

Some time ago, I read a story about a young man from Kenya who decided to change the fate of his small rural community. The village had been forgotten for decades, no clean water, no access roads, no school beyond the primary level. He left home to study in Nairobi, and years later, when he came back with a small team and an even bigger vision, he wasn’t welcomed with open arms. Instead, he was met with suspicion. People whispered that he must be getting foreign money for personal gain. Some said he was trying to build popularity for politics. Others mocked him, “He just wants to show off.”

Yet, in truth, all he wanted was to make life better for the same people who doubted him. He started with a borehole project to provide water. Still, instead of appreciation, some villagers accused him of choosing the wrong location. When he built a small library, people questioned his priorities: “Who needs books when there’s hunger?” The envy, criticism, and resistance nearly broke him. But he kept working quietly.

A few years later, that same village became one of the most developed in the region. Children who once walked miles for school could now learn within their community. Women no longer fetched dirty water from rivers. Small businesses began to grow. And suddenly, the same people who once doubted him now pointed to his work with pride. They forgot their envy and embraced the result.

That story stayed with me because it captures something universal, something painfully human. It shows how often people envy or fight those bringing development not because they are bad people, but because progress exposes something within them. It holds up a mirror. When someone starts doing what others only dream or talk about, it reminds everyone else of what they could have done but didn’t. And rather than face that discomfort, people attack the one holding the mirror.

Envy often comes wrapped in criticism. People say, “He’s trying too hard,” or “She thinks she knows it all.” But deep down, what they feel is not anger, it’s insecurity. Development demands effort, and effort reveals character. It shows who’s been genuinely working for the good of others, and who’s only been talking. That’s why progress always shakes people, it forces them to confront their own passivity.

Then there’s pride, that silent enemy of collective growth. Some people can’t stand to see another person rise where they stood still. They can’t accept that someone younger, someone they once looked down on, could now be the one bringing transformation. Their ego whispers, “How dare he?” So instead of lending a hand, they withhold support. Instead of celebrating, they criticize. In their hearts, they mistake leadership for rivalry.

And yet, the most painful part is this: those who bring development are often doing it out of love. They don’t seek titles or applause; they just want to see their people live better, dream bigger, and believe again. But love, in its purest form, is often misunderstood. People project their own motives onto others, assuming no one can be genuine. They can’t imagine that someone would sacrifice time, comfort, and resources just to make things better for everyone.

Still, development must continue. The person who sees tomorrow must never be stopped by those trapped in yesterday.

Every true change-maker will be doubted before they are celebrated. Every builder will be criticized before being praised. It’s a cycle as old as time. Even that young Kenyan man faced rejection before admiration. But what kept him going was not approval, it was conviction. He knew that, in time, results would speak louder than rumors.

And they did. Years later, when the borehole still ran clean water and the library overflowed with children, envy gave way to gratitude. The same voices that once mocked him now call him a blessing. That’s how it always ends. Because envy is loud in the moment, but gratitude echoes longer.

The truth is, people envy those who bring development because development is light, and light exposes what darkness has hidden. It reveals laziness, fear, pride, and wasted potential. But no matter how strong the envy gets, progress always wins. It may be slow. It may be lonely. But it wins.

So if you’re building something good, keep building. If you’re fighting for progress, keep fighting. Because someday, the same people who envy you will tell your story with pride. And by then, your work, not your words, will have already changed their lives.

#StayFocused