Those whose hearts are pure rejoice when they see God bless, or use, someone else. Inward resentment against God’s blessing that rests on others is resentment towards God.
The very first thing that love is not—according to the apostle Paul—is it is not jealous (see 1 Cor. 13:4). We cannot claim that we love anyone of whom we are jealous. Jealousy is fundamentally selfish.
Proverbs wisely warns that “jealousy is like cancer in the bones” (Prov. 14:30, NLT). It is a deadly disease that is often hidden beneath an outward façade of forced smiles and insincere compliments. Jealousy looks for faults in others to justify itself, and in so doing, keeps itself hidden deep in hearts that are self-deceived.
Jealous people often accuse those of whom they are jealous of being prideful. If you mention anything about God’s blessing on your life, you are bragging, they say! Jealousy twists blessing into boasting.
The good news is that hearts can change…if they will repent! God convicts, but He doesn’t force His will. Before we can be honest with others, we must first be honest with ourselves, and God. The recipe for deliverance from jealousy is very simple: “Admit it and quit it!”
