What does the Bible say about jealousy? Is jealousy or envy a sin?
Wanting what someone else possesses has been a part of human
nature since forever. Remember when Adam and Eve's son killed his brother in a
jealous rage (Genesis 4:3-8)?
Later, God told Moses to write down for the Israelites, "Hey, stop envying
other people's stuff!" (Exodus
20:17; paraphrased). In the New Testament, Jesus clarified,
"Stop envying other people's stuff because there's more to life than
STUFF" (Luke 12:15;
paraphrased). Clearly, jealousy is a problem for human beings...
Is
jealousy a sin?
Feeling jealous is never a pleasant feeling. Feeling envious of
another person saps the joy we could experience from our own lives. Dwelling
upon jealousy or envy will lead to more unpleasant emotions—like anger,
frustration, and discontentment (Proverbs 14:30).
Allowing jealous or envious thoughts to take over the mind is a sin because it
puts all importance and focus on SELF, disregarding others' needs and
interests.
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty
conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also
for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in
Christ Jesus." —Philippians 2:3-5
Selfishness is not a characteristic we should allow to permeate
our hearts. The more we focus solely on what WE want, the more we forget about
other people and God's amazing plan for
our lives (Matthew 13:15).
Jealousy
and envy give control over to worldly desires (1 Corinthians 3:3).
The Apostle Paul advised, "Let us not become conceited,
provoking and envying each other" (Galatians 5:26).
Instead, we should have love for one another, just as God loves us: "Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs" (1
Corinthians 13:4-5).
When we squash jealous or envious desires, we hand control back
to the Holy Spirit who
will help us produce the spiritual fruit of
a Christ-follower—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Jealousy
& Envy are Liars
Feelings of jealousy and envy put little cracks in our personal
satisfaction with life. They poke and whisper that we aren't happy with what
God has given us—that what we have isn't enough. And, yes, sometimes it does feel
that way. That's just human nature. But those aren't feelings we should dwell upon,
because they'll only produce more darkness and eat away at our contentment.
God has unimaginable good planned for you, and He isn't going
anywhere (Romans 8:28; Hebrews 13:5). Take
the focus off selfish desires and jealousy and turn it toward serving others
and finding ways to love as Jesus loves. When we put others first, our hearts
begin to shift away from selfishness and toward self-LESS-ness. No, being
selfless isn't the way of the world, but...that's not we're about, is it?
"Do not conform any
longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good,
pleasing and perfect will." —Romans 12:2Source : https://412teens.org
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