Battle With Jealousy

Battle with Jealousy

Introduction-

For the last several weeks, we have looked at different character flaws (giants) (obstacles) in our lives to help us live more productive lives.

We have laughed at some of our fears that keep us from accomplishing more in our lives.

We can all put a face of others that worry too much. Not any of us.

We all know “someone else” that needs a good scolding from God.

We all know someone in our mind that we feel is too far gone for the Lord to save.

Last week we took a hard look at discouragement.

Judging by what was said afterwards, we all have faced discouragement before in our lives.

I have tried to show you from God’s Word that we all struggle with these things in our lives.

It is taking the time with God to be honest.

Everyone is looking for answers…not everyone is ready to hear the answers from God.

The answers we need are found in God’s Word, found in a relationship with God. It is okay to ask questions.

So this morning as we look at God’s Word on jealousy- Don’t think right way of “someone else”, be praying Lord if that is me, I want you to get it out of my life so I can be set free to be the person you called me to be. Not who I wish I was. Not the one I pretend to be, but who you want me to be.

Prayer-

Father today as we go to your word, allow my heart to be open and allow me to hear from you. May I acknowledge that jealousy is a sin that will keep me from receiving your best for my life because I will have been looking at others lives instead of my own life. Amen.

Jealousy by definition is “a feeling of being envious of something or someone.”

It is wanting… something that someone else has that does not belong to you. (Repeat)

Jealousy, envy, resentment, anger, selfishness, deception… these feelings can begin in early childhood and carry over into our lives. We do not have to teach a child any of these traits- they learn them all by themselves. Our jobs as parents, is to teach them to not have them in their lives and show them how destructive they can be.

Genesis 37:3-11

We see from the book of Genesis which means “beginning” that jealousy is not new thing but continues to be a problem with people today.

Joseph’s dad Israel had a ton of kids and then had a son late in life. One set of kids all grown up and a young boy born late in life that meant the world to him.

To the young one, he made a coat of many colors and Joseph wore it in the face of his brothers.

When the brothers saw that the father loved him more than them, they became jealous.

When he began telling them a dream that they would bow down to him, they became not only jealous but enraged with anger. It went to a new level.

God worked in that situation for his honor and glory but jealousy does not always have a happy ending.

This morning we need to look at the (1) root cause of jealousy and we need to find the (2) remedy for jealousy.

So it is a two part message this morning.

It happens in every one of our lives.

We each handle it in a different way.

Some of us explode in jealousy where others are given ulcers and some of us hold it in and cause ourselves to have ulcers. Either way, jealousy causes destruction.

Okay, here goes- Finding the root cause of jealousy

Root cause of jealousy

If the characteristics of jealousy are resentment, envious, covetousness-

We quickly see that jealousy is sin. These characteristics are not of God and should not be in a believer’s life.

We do not like to call it sin because then we would have to admit that we are at fault when we allow it into our lives.

Cain’s motive for killing Abel (Genesis 4) was because he felt that God had shown favor on Abel instead of Cain. Truth is, Abel gave his best to God and Cain brought a mediocre sacrifice.

The Prodical Son- A boy that wanted to leave home and squander the family inheritance comes back home repentant and desiring to make amends with his father. It is the son that stayed home who was jealous- why should you have the big party? I am the one that stayed home and I did not leave- why did you not have a party for the one that stayed instead of the one that left and is now back.