Overcoming the Virus of Jealousy
Jealousy is a virus that will keep you from obtaining the blessings of the Lord for your life. It is a real feeling though and it does impact our lives deeply. I often wrestle with it. It is actually rooted in insecurity and lack of identity in Christ. When we know what Christ wants for us we will not be jealous because we know that he intends to bless us over and over again. My social media ministry is quite large but there are people that have much bigger ministries than me. There are times that I look at the attention that other people get and I think “WHY NOT ME?” It can pain so deep in these moments and it can seem hopeless. Before you feel the need to write to me to tell me that you are praying for me please look into your own heart and see your own jealousies for a moment. A little introspection might set you free. I believe every single person who is reading this deals with jealousy at some level. You may not be struggling the same way as I do but perhaps there is covetousness in your heart still. Do you long for what your brother and sister have? Perhaps they are better looking, richer, a different race, a different nationality or live in a nicer house than you. Perhaps the grass looks greener on their side of the fence. When you look at people instead of God you will always be dissatisfied because someone will always have something that you do not have. When I recently found myself coveting the ministry of another social media evangelist because it was 10 times bigger than mine I began to ask God why such a thing was in my heart. When we are honest with God he is able to help us and to deliver us from evil. He began to show me how the people who I was jealous over had incredible spiritual fathers who seemed to speak and endorse them all the time. It wasn’t even their notoriety that I was longing for but the fathers that they had. When I was a child my mom and dad broke up. I was abandoned by both of my parents. After some time I went to live with my mother and she remarried a man that was only 11 years older than me. I was always angry with her because off that. But truthfully my mother is only 17 years older than me. She was a child who married another child. Growing up I lived in public housing and use to be jealous of the boys that grew up in better conditions. The boys who lived in two story houses with garages and two cars in the driveway were people that I envied very much. My parents were so young they could never afford to live that way. What the Lord said to me is that you are still living like that poor boy and envying the boys that seem to have more. I repented of course of jealousy of these boys and God brought a healing to my heart. My current jealousy was not rooted in the moment but in a wound from the past. Once we realize this our healing can come more quickly. I love getting my heart right with God because it always results in new peace and blessing. Blessing is greater than our imagination of it. Blessing comes in the form of new relationships, new opportunities, and even restoration of things lost. Each time you allow God to heal you, each time you repent, then he is faithful and will do a new thing in your life. Your mind is transformed and your identity is restored into the creator’s image. This can only result in good things for your life. I pray that you will have courage today to let go of your jealousies and your hatreds. I pray that God will heal your heart so that you can be freer than you have ever been before. May hope and joy fill you as you pursue Christ with all your heart and may the blessings of the Lord overwhelm you and bring you peace.