Overcoming Jealousy

I have to make a confession.  There are times when I become jealous.

There’s one specific gift that I would love to share with others and have not been able to share in the last few years.  I find myself becoming jealous of some individuals that share their own God given talent.

I’m not proud of this and have had to work hard to deal with the jealousy that bubbles up within me.

Jealousy can get the best of us when we think someone has it better than we do in a dream, longing, or pursuit

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:3, “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?”

Shortly after praying about my jealousy, I received my daily devotional from Dr. Charles Stanley and it was on jealousy.  I knew this was for me.

Dr. Stanley stated that when we are jealous we should:

1. Acknowledge the jealousy and be honest with ourselves
2. Admit the conflict to the Lord
3. Thank God for what He is doing in the other person’s life
4. Do something nice for the other person
5. Ask the Lord to reveal how He sees the other person
6. Refocus our attention on what God is doing in our lives

It is so easy to look at others and be jealous of their gift or what they seem to have.  But, often we just see the surface and not the trials and issues that are going on in their own lives.  We never know until we walk in their shoes, what trials and struggles they are dealing with.

Proverbs 14:30 says,” A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

Lord, let me have a heart at peace and not one of envy and jealousy.

Do you have a heart of peace or envy?