DOES JEALOUSY ROB YOU OF GOD’S GRACE?

During my lifetime, I have had no real issues with jealousy. Therefore, I don’t profess to understand anyone who has these feelings.

Though I cannot empathize with someone consumed by jealousy, I can see the damage and loss it can bring to their lives.

God says as long as there is jealousy in a person’s heart, there cannot be Christ-like existence. Jealousy is of the world, rendering you worldly.

1 Corinthians 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

In reading about jealousy, I have found it mostly stems from your own insecurities.

Be aware of your own jealousy. These emotions can lead to participating in negative and malicious gossip, the delivery of negative, non-constructive criticism and rude and disrespectful behavior towards others.

You just may hurt someone badly because you are blinded by your jealousy.

These feelings can alienate you from loved ones or cause you to only see the negative in another person, many times unfairly. You may never know the love you could receive from them because you have shielded yourself from them with your jealousy.

Ask yourself, “What about this situation am I really jealous of? Does jealousy really stem from the truth or just something I have told myself exists?”

It is time for some self-analysis. “What about this situation do you fear you might lose? What hurtful belief about yourself has led to your feeling this thought is an absolute truth? What meaning are you giving to these feelings?” For example, you may be fearful of losing someone’s love to someone else.

Do you feel it is impossible for someone to love both you and the other without your losing anything? Examine the thing that makes you think you are not receiving that love. Have you asked them if they still love you the same or have you just decided your thought process is correct and their words have no merit?

Self-esteem is closely tied with the emotions of jealousy. This is because the emotions guide us to expose our deepest fears about being unloved. These shadow emotions seek to find the cracks in your armor and work their way in, creating self-doubt. Rather than realizing this self-doubt, you resent the person your are jealous of instead.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools to help us shift quickly into a more positive, emotional state. Stop focusing on the negative, jealous feelings. Learn to focus on the blessings you have in your life, the love you receive from others and the love you give in return. Study the person to whom you feel jealousy and you will probably find your blessings far exceed theirs. Get to know them and find the good in them. In the process, you will find the good in yourself because that understanding will give you peace.

Now, focus on those who love you. Did you feel less loved by them because of this jealousy? Is your love for them unconditional or have you placed conditions on their love that blocks the sharing of it? Have they loved you unconditionally in the past? Do they still?

Begin to find ways in which you might show love toward the person with whom you feel jealous. Everyone needs love and understanding just as much as you do. By focusing on their needs, you will focus less on your own.

In return, you may just find that you will receive an extra abundance of love from them.

Don’t allow jealousy to rob you of something important in your life. Talk it out with everyone involved. Work together to find the path to freedom from this nagging, unfounded jealousy.

In doing so, you will usually find there was no cause for it in the first place and you will be happier for the lesson learned.

God never intended us to be jealous of each other. He gives each of us the ability to love unconditionally with a love that never runs dry. He, in turn, loves us in the same way, blessing each of us as special to Him.