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For jealousy is the rage of a man...
We oftentimes have a negative connotation of the word jealousy; however, in the Bible we find that there is a such thing as righteous jealousy. So before we get into the effects of sinful jealousy (the envious or covetous kind) and how to have victory over it, we'll examine some different types of jealousy.
1. God is jealous. He has a right--there is no God but Him. Christians are wedded to Him and we should not go a whoring after other gods.
Exodus 34:14, For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
2. A man with a suspected unfaithful spouse is jealous. He has a right to know if his beloved is being faithful or adulterous.
Numbers 5:12 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,5:13 And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;
5:14 AND THE SPIRIT OF JEALOUSY COME UPON HIM, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled: ( procedure to determine her guilt/innocence found in verses 15-31)
3. A man jealous for the Lord. This person gives his exclusive loyalty to God.
1 Kings 19:10, And he [Elijah] said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
4. A man with godly jealousy. This person has lead someone to Christ and wants them to stay on track with Jesus. It could also be a Christian worker who wants to see those he helps stay with Jesus.
2 Corinthians 11:2, For I [Paul] am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
5. A man's jealousy because he is resentfully envious. It can consume and cripple your walk with Jesus. It is sin and, unsurprisingly, the world in large measure, operates on this.
Song of Solomon 8:6, ...jealousy is cruel as the grave...
In this discussion, we will concentrate on the fifth type of jealousy, the envious kind. So when I say jealous, I'm referring to an unrighteous envy.
Jealousy provokes us to anger.
For jealousy is the rage of a man...
No good can come from such anger.
...the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Jealousy can affect many areas of our Christian life. Some results of unbridled jealousy include:
Matthew 5:22-24 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
I John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer...
I John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Jealousy is oftentimes tied to the sins of envy (feeling of discontent because of another's advantage) and/or covetousness (to ardently desire something that someone else has). When we nurse jealousy, and don't rebuke it, we willingly sin.
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Jealousy is consuming and can become an idol. The mind thinks on it, sometimes we may try to "outdo" the object of our jealousy, and our relationship with God suffers. Our fixation should be on Jesus, not another human being.
Christians are already overcomers because of what Christ did when He made an open show of the dark powers and principalities of this world. You no longer have to be subject to your flesh, the devil, or the world. Victory is in your hands just reach out and take it.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some practical tips include:
1. Submit yourself to God by stepping up your Bible reading. Try Proverbs which has a lot of practical everyday wisdom on how we should behave wisely. Remember God is speaking to you through His word. Follow what it says.
2. Fast for the problem and look for God's answer. It's coming.
3. Pray fervently for humility, meekness, contrite heart, and charity.
4. Take it one day at a time (Matthew 6:34) and one transaction at a time. When a circumstance comes up where you might get jealous, begin to pray to God silently. You can say, "God loves this person, Jesus loves this person, I love this person." You can even quote scripture. Anything right to keep your mind clean.
5. During prayer, tell God, out loud, that you love the person you are jealous of and to make it so in your heart. He commanded us to love. Love is not emotion, it is an act of the will. We make the decision to love. As time goes on, this decision becomes heartfelt love through God.
6. Through reading the Bible, understand who you are in Christ and how all things are yours. Our sense of worth is defined by what we are in Christ, not by what we are in this world or the eyes of other people.
7. Take all of your deepest feelings to the Lord in prayer. Humble yourself by getting down on your knees. Talk to the Lord out loud. Don't be embarrassed--He already knows your feelings and wants you to share with Him. Cast all your care upon Him for he careth for you (I Peter 5:7).
8. Determine, like Paul, that you will not be brought under the power of anything (I Corinthians 6:12) and that you will keep your body under subjection (I Corinthians 9:27).
9. If you do not currently have a ministry for the Lord, get one and work. Serving other people minimizes your own problems and gives you honor by being a fellow laborer with the Lord.
10. Meditate on the word of God continually. This has a cleansing effect.
11. Disassociate yourself with ungodly things or people that feed your jealousy.
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