Jealousy divides and devastates.
Jealousy’s foul stench fills the room assomeone who has succumbed to it’s grip enters.
Yetwe are still jealous.
We are jealous of another’s beauty.
We are jealous of another’s talents and spiritual gifts.
We are jealous when we feel another shines more than we do.
Maybe not all the time. Perhaps for you, none of the time. But I have found in my own life, that jealousy’s green, slimy, sticky grip reaches for my soul at the most inopportune times and almost always catches me by surprise.
I have felt the pang of jealously because a friend was thin and I am fat.
I have felt the pang of jealously because a friend had more spiritual giftedness than me.
I have felt the pang of jealously because a friend could decorate, or dress, or ___________(fill in the blank) better than me.
So how does we cope when jealousy tries to impinge on our spirit?
We pray.
We pray for the ones we are jealous of.
We pray for their success.
We pray for their influence and talents to increase.
We pray for them to thrive instead of us.
After many years of prayer, fasting, seeking forgiveness, and talking to wise counsel, I have found the most beneficial way to whack the tentacles of jealousy off my soul is to pray exactly for what my jealous heart doesn’t seem to want. But I know it is what Jesus wants.
When I do this, it’s as if the scales fall off my eyes, and I see the person I am struggling with as God sees them. I see their God-appointed purpose, and I am able to rejoice at how they thrive and succeed.
I am convinced that any other type of approach is too self focused:
“God help ME to stop feeling this way.” “God, help them not to treat ME this way.” “God, let them see MY TALENTS and use ME.” “God help ME to SHINE.” “God use ME like you use them.”
In my life, I have been on both the giving and receiving end of jealousy. I know what it is to sincerely struggle with being jealous of someone I love. I also know what it is to be the one that someone is jealous of. I can tell you that neither option is pleasant, and both are the devil’s work. Yet, when we are in the midst of a jealousy season, it is so painful, so life impairing.
The Bible says that jealousy is as cold as the grave…That means it’s pretty potent stuff.
Let’s have an honest conversation today about jealousy.
What areas of jealousy have you struggled with? Or do you?
And have you overcome/ conquered? And if you have never felt the twinge of jealousy what do you attribute that to??
I look forward to hearing from you !