Jealousy - March 5, 2015

 

James 3:16 ESV      For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Proverbs 27:4 ESV      Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

1 Corinthians 3:3 ESV      For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

Jealousy and envy are emotions that tend to expectedly/unexpectedly appear in our lives from time to time. If they  go unchecked and are allowed to become dominant in our lives, they dramatically change our perspectives, stunt our spiritual and emotional growth and lead us into self destructive behaviors; without question.

We often use the words jealousy and envy interchangeably but there are differences in the two words. Jealousy can be used in a positive sense. The root of the word  is zelos, the same word from which we also get zeal, or zealous. When the word is applied to God, saying He is a jealous God means He demands that we worship and love Him exclusively.

In a negative sense, jealousy is a fear of being displaced by a rival in affection or favor. To be jealous is to be anxiously suspicious or vigilant in insecurity. Proverb 27:4 says, "Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?" The implication of this Scripture is that jealousy is hidden. It corrupts our motives, thoughts, and actions. lt makes matters worse, the object of that jealousy may be aware or unaware of it  but the bottom line is it is not their issue; the issue is born in and resides in you and it is all consuming.

Whereas jealousy can be viewed as a  positive, envy, on the other hand, is always viewed as a negative. Envy is defined as "a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by another's desirable possessions or qualities, accompanied by a strong desire to have them for oneself."

Scripture reminds us, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" (Prov. 14:30).

God intention is that our hearts and minds  be focused on new goals, and that our behavior should be controlled by His standards. As we make a conscious decision to turn away from the old and embrace the new, we begin to stop looking over our shoulder to see who's catching up with us. Instead, we choose to submit to  the Spirit's leading for our own lives and choose to be grateful for everything God does for us.

Submission and yielding to God are the only ways to  remove envy from our hearts.