All Christians Must Do Away With Jealousy And Live A Life Void Of It
Joseph had a special dream that God had planned to make him the leader of his father’s house. He shared his dream with his family in innocence, with the hope that everyone will applaud, accept, and help him achieve his dreams. He was wrong. His brothers became jealous and hated him. They were willing to do everything possible to stop his dream from actualizing.
Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill him but later sold him to slavery. The scriptures reported Joseph’s brothers actions,
“Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! Come, therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” … “And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt” (Genesis 37:18-20; Genesis 37:25-28).
Jealousy Can Make Us Lose God’s Blessings
A good Christian is expected to be selfless and not be jealous of other people’s achievements. As Christians, we must be satisfied with whatever we have. We must be contented and trust that God will meet our needs. Believers must be sensitive to any element of jealousy and ensure to immediately uproot its influence before it gets out of hand. Jealousy will make a person lose sight of any effort that can benefit him, and focus on other people’s dream, wealth, and/or ambition.
Meanwhile, an act of jealousy is a sin against God (Exodus 20:17). It is, therefore, important that Christians choose to live a selfless lifestyle. Any Christian who exercises godliness and refuse to entertain jealousy will be blessed by God. The person will have more reasons to maintain his godly attitude.
Satan can manipulate anyone through jealousy and we can see this in Joseph’s story. Spend some minutes daily thinking about what you have and thank God for it. God will continue to help you!
Prayer For God’s Grace To Be Humble
Dear God, please keep me humble to appreciate your grace and goodness in my life. Do not let me be jealous of others. Don’t let me entertain selfish thoughts, or engage in an action that can negatively affect other people’s progress. Let me be an agent of positive change in people’s lives so that your name can be praised! For in the name of Jesus Christ, I make my requests. Amen.
Remember: God Hates Jealousy; Stay Away From It
Read-based suggestion:
OBEDIENCE IS A MUST FOR ALL CHRISTIANS – Genesis
SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTER
