WHO CAN STAND BEFORE JEALOUSY?

Anger is cruel, and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Prov. 27:4

And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Eccl. 4:4

It is at least a little astonishing that the same man wrote both of these truisms.

The least-confessed sin is to break the tenth commandment: you shall not covet. But it may be the most-often broken and unrecognized sin of all.

Add the comments of James to the mix, and we have a further insight into the destructive nature of jealousy:

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?"

Since reflecting on enemies, I have come to realize that jealousy is a major cause of broken fellowship between Christians. Once I feel that someone has been unfairly blessed by God, I make the same mistake that the wicked, lazy servant made who was given "only" one talent (about 75 pounds!) of silver. He saw his master as unfair, for he took what wasn't his and gave to those who had not worked hard. How many times I have secretly thought the same thing about a good friend.

And then when I have let my thoughts come out of my mouth, I doubly curse myself. What dainty morsels gossip can be! It feels so good to dishonor my friend (and therefore my God) behind his back. I bring him down just a notch or two by saying, "You know, he's not really all that worthy of respect. I know this about him. Let's pray for him." And when I bring him down a notch or two, I feel like I have brought myself up a notch or two. Of course, just the opposite happens for me in the spiritual realm.

I admit it: I cannot stand before jealousy. It eats me up. I remember being nine years old and so competitive that I would cheat and lie to win, whatever the competition. My competitive zeal has been somewhat masked as an adult, but it doesn't take much for it to surface again. Maybe competitiveness is healthy in a ballplayer or a soldier, and maybe it is inborn in males, especially. But so is rebellion. And self-will. And sin. So, in my flesh I cannot beat my envious side. But thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord! He has already won the victory over jealousy, envy, covetousness and every other sin in my life! And when I join Him in His death, He provides me with a new heart--free from every sin! Praise the Lord!
-ken