Posted on 08/15/2018 8:04:53 PM PDT by metmom
"Love . . . is not jealous" (1 Cor. 13:4).
Jealousy thrives in a climate of selfish ambition.
Jealousy is an insidious sin that cries out, "I want what you have, and furthermore, I don't want you to have it." It replaces contentment with resentment and spawns a myriad of other sins.
The Corinthians, in truth, were jealous of one another's spiritual gifts. First Corinthians 12:31 literally says, "You are earnestly desiring the showy gifts, but I show you a more excellent way." The word translated "earnestly desiring" is translated "jealous" in 1 Corinthians 13:4. It means "to boil" and speaks of the inner seething that comes from wanting something that someone else has. In 1 Corinthians 3:3 Paul rebukes them for the jealousy and strife that existed among them.
Paul knew what it meant to be victimized by jealous people. During one of his imprisonments he candidly wrote, "Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment" (Phil. 1:15-17).
Paul's attitude toward those who envied him was exemplary: "Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice" (v. 18). He wasn't motivated by personal comfort or selfish ambition. He loved Christ deeply and wanted as many people as possible to hear the gospel. As long as Christ was being proclaimed, Paul was happy—regardless of his own circumstances or the motives of others. That should be your perspective too.
Love is the antidote for jealousy. When godly love governs your heart, you can rejoice in the spiritual successes of others, even when you know their motives are wrong. But if you seek prominence and selfish gain, you become an easy target for jealousy and resentment.
Suggestions for Prayer
Confess any jealousy you might be harboring toward others. Ask God to deepen your love for Christ so jealousy can't gain a foothold in your heart in the future.
For Further Study
Read 2 Corinthians 11:2. Is there such a thing as godly jealousy? Explain.
Studying God’s Word ping
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This is the difference between wanting a thing for your own sake and wanting a thing for the Lord’s sake. The world’s idea is that we take what we can get and make a life out of it. The Lord’s idea is that we take the things that He gives us for His purposes and use them for those purposes. It’s generally a more frugal idea too. We shouldn’t, as in Marxist or capitalist concepts, even want so many dollars’ worth of riches for their own sake, but rather for what the Lord has prepared us to do with it. People with a forte for job creation will have more dollars than those with a forte for something else — and all may be rich in the way the Lord has assigned. Thinking in heaven’s terms embarrasses the terms of the world.
“Faith, Hope and Love abide. The greatest of these is Love’’. St. Paul.
amen!
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