DEALING WITH JEALOUSY
”For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.“
The spirit of jealousy is a demonic snare because it is what drives a man to think that another’s promotion is their demotion. It is the thought that if another has more than you do, they are the standard of all you will ever have.
In verse 15 James uses powerful words such as demonic and not from above to describe such because that is not the heart of God. Such thought patterns, behaviors and attitudes show a person who has not yet understood who God is nor how He operates.
Scripture tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from God (). When a man thinks that his peer’s promotion, increase, change of status, marriage, recognition is a sign of their own demotion, they show that they have not understood . God is abundant in all things, and has not just enough but more than enough for every one of His children.
If one is married and per adventure loses his spouse to death, this is the God who can rewrite that individual’s story with a different person. And even in so doing, there would still be enough mates for all those that desire marriage. Selah!
The same is for your work, your material possessions, your ideas and business interests, the increase or exploits of another should indicate the grace looming over your neighborhood and available even for you to receive from rather than drive you to think there isn’t enough for all.
I exhort you therefore with Paul’s words:
”Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Prayer: Father I thank for this wisdom. I have learnt to seek first your kingdom and its righteousness, that I may have the wisdom to judge matters only according to that pattern. I know that I cannot error after that manner because you don’t leave nor forsake those that yield themselves to you. Teach me how to celebrate all those whose visitation has come that your name will be glorified through me in Jesus mighty name.
CI.
