Jealousy is that disagreeable or hateful attitude that others sometimes have but we, of course, do not have such childish points of view. The dictionary defines Jealousy as, “a feeling or showing resentment toward a person whom one thinks of as a rival.” Believers desire to be part of the group that “rejoice when others rejoice,” and “weep with those who weep.”(Romans 12:15) However, perhaps because of a common sense of inadequacy that most of us carry, it is easy to slip into a jealous attitude. Such an attitude of envy may want to pull the other person down with the mistaken thinking that by pulling them down I will somehow elevate myself. It is truly foolish but a powerful negative force that may damage our own lives if we fail to recognize it and change jealousy for admiration. Jealousy steals our energy. Jealousy takes us off our own trail – sidetracks us. When we determine to exchange jealousy for an admiration of positive qualities, we place ourselves on the fast track for greater personal achievement. We may need to push ourselves a bit to move from criticism to admiration, but we can make the switch. It is amazing that when we acknowledge achievement and success in others it seemingly puts us on a fast track toward our own goals. I love remembering that God is at work in Believers’ lives so we can relax and thank Him for it.
↧