Jealously - the Beast
We are all jealous at times; sometimes because we are provoked and sometimes just because. Let me say one thing specifically: jealously is not about the other person - it's about YOU. When you are jealous because of a spouse, another's good fortune, a neighbor's possessions, it's not what they did or have that fuels the jealously, it's what's inside of you. The what that is inside of you, when you are jealous, is Satan working his talk. God's commandment on emulations (jealousies) is specific and equally included with other sins: Galatians 5:16-21 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the ones to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Jealously ranks right up there with other big sins. It doesn't say it's ok in any instance. No matter if your spouse cheats and flirts, no matter if another gets the promotion, no matter if the next person makes more money, no matter if your friend is healthier, no matter if "they got it made", no matter anything. No matter if they made deacon, no matter if they are chairman, no matter if their kids are better behaved, no matter if they are younger, no matter if they are better educated, get the picture????
If jealously, ALL jealously, is a sin why do we let the dark clouds of jealously cloud our thoughts? We each have had things happen in our lives (or will have them) that were sad, tragic, unfair, and that's a fact. Especially, if we had no control over the event or the person, it may be hard to put those memories into a perspective that doesn't include jealousy. Even if just "wishing" things had been different, aren't we jealous of the outcome we didn't receive? A human heart is wired for jealousy. How do you deal with it when it involves yours or another's sin? Read Galatians again. It constantly talks of walking with the Spirit; the Spirit of our God.
Since it is Satan that helps our jealousy along, isn't your best solution to turn to the Spirit to sweep it away? I've often noticed people who have a low burning anger have jealously as their motivation. Turn the anger inside of us (and the reason we are angry) over to God - I mean put it in your hand and give it once and for all to God. If you need visuals, put that issue firmly in your hand and wrap your fingers around it tightly. Raise your clenched fist to God and open those fingers allowing God to reach down and capture it forever. HE can deal with it, HE wants to deal with it, HE demands to deal with it, and HE will hold tight to it forever IF you let Him. Do not let Satan pull it back into your heart on those down days or when something triggers a memory. Raise that hand again and again back to God the moment you feel Satan working his ugly tricks. I go so far (OK, I'm a visual person) as to then ask God to take His hand and sweep it out of my head. Holding off that sinful thought by completely sweeping it from my thinking.
AND, if it comes back? Satan doesn't give up easily and we all have weak moments. We all become down and for some we become down because we are provoked. Doesn't make it any more right or any less sinful. It damages our spiritual life and our communion with God. Stop what you are doing and thinking and ask God to help you. He sent the Holy Spirit specifically to help we humans - good grief! why don't we grab hold of this gift of His love and use it every moment?
Why am I writing this today? I woke up in a jealous kind of funky mood. As I lay in bed, my mind started working through the many injustices I've buried in my memory and pretty soon I was in one rainy day downer. I could have just let it fuel itself through running the whole tape, but what a waste of my day, my mood, my ability to concentrate and my spirit of joy. I turned to God and he said write this out kido and reflect on Me. And you thought I wrote this little BLOG for others...
God saved me that I might live forever in Heaven. What others have done to me, the slights, the hurts, the wrongs are not my sins. It will be between them and their God. God simply wants me to rely on Him and get myself right. My sin would be to let jealousy invade my deal with God. Not something I care to have happen, this morning, or ever.
Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." Grab it, it's a gift from God.
Jealously ranks right up there with other big sins. It doesn't say it's ok in any instance. No matter if your spouse cheats and flirts, no matter if another gets the promotion, no matter if the next person makes more money, no matter if your friend is healthier, no matter if "they got it made", no matter anything. No matter if they made deacon, no matter if they are chairman, no matter if their kids are better behaved, no matter if they are younger, no matter if they are better educated, get the picture????
If jealously, ALL jealously, is a sin why do we let the dark clouds of jealously cloud our thoughts? We each have had things happen in our lives (or will have them) that were sad, tragic, unfair, and that's a fact. Especially, if we had no control over the event or the person, it may be hard to put those memories into a perspective that doesn't include jealousy. Even if just "wishing" things had been different, aren't we jealous of the outcome we didn't receive? A human heart is wired for jealousy. How do you deal with it when it involves yours or another's sin? Read Galatians again. It constantly talks of walking with the Spirit; the Spirit of our God.
Since it is Satan that helps our jealousy along, isn't your best solution to turn to the Spirit to sweep it away? I've often noticed people who have a low burning anger have jealously as their motivation. Turn the anger inside of us (and the reason we are angry) over to God - I mean put it in your hand and give it once and for all to God. If you need visuals, put that issue firmly in your hand and wrap your fingers around it tightly. Raise your clenched fist to God and open those fingers allowing God to reach down and capture it forever. HE can deal with it, HE wants to deal with it, HE demands to deal with it, and HE will hold tight to it forever IF you let Him. Do not let Satan pull it back into your heart on those down days or when something triggers a memory. Raise that hand again and again back to God the moment you feel Satan working his ugly tricks. I go so far (OK, I'm a visual person) as to then ask God to take His hand and sweep it out of my head. Holding off that sinful thought by completely sweeping it from my thinking.
AND, if it comes back? Satan doesn't give up easily and we all have weak moments. We all become down and for some we become down because we are provoked. Doesn't make it any more right or any less sinful. It damages our spiritual life and our communion with God. Stop what you are doing and thinking and ask God to help you. He sent the Holy Spirit specifically to help we humans - good grief! why don't we grab hold of this gift of His love and use it every moment?
Why am I writing this today? I woke up in a jealous kind of funky mood. As I lay in bed, my mind started working through the many injustices I've buried in my memory and pretty soon I was in one rainy day downer. I could have just let it fuel itself through running the whole tape, but what a waste of my day, my mood, my ability to concentrate and my spirit of joy. I turned to God and he said write this out kido and reflect on Me. And you thought I wrote this little BLOG for others...
God saved me that I might live forever in Heaven. What others have done to me, the slights, the hurts, the wrongs are not my sins. It will be between them and their God. God simply wants me to rely on Him and get myself right. My sin would be to let jealousy invade my deal with God. Not something I care to have happen, this morning, or ever.
Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." Grab it, it's a gift from God.
posted by Diane Gibson at
10:13 AM
