A friend and I took our dogs for a walk. Here’s her little dog, Red.
Here’s my much bigger dog, Lucky.
These two dogs are very loved. (not spoiled, no not them ….)
They get along well with each other, as long as food isn’t involved. 
Lucky has been living in Red’s backyard for nine months. He is waiting, like we are, for our new home to be completed.
Lucky loves me and always greets me enthusiastically when I go to visit him. I don’t think he understands why he has to sleep outside in the cold. (PA is a big environment change for a dog born and raised in GA)
Back to the story about our walk …. We walked across the road and over to my new house. (Which isn’t quite finished yet!) Since it was cold, we took the dogs into the basement. Then we took their leashes off and let them loose. I was talking to my friend and I sat down on the stairs. Red came over to see me and I petted him. Then, Lucky saw me. He took off in a run across the basement and pushed his way in to me because some other dog (friend or not – doesn’t matter) was getting attention from me. I was his master and I should have been petting him.
I saw the jealousy at once and I laughed out loud at him. I told him I had plenty of love to share. He didn’t care, he wanted all of my attention.
Jealousy has been around since the beginning of time. Remember the story of Cain and Able. Jealousy over God’s favor led Cain to kill his own brother.
Joseph’s brothers were jealous when they sold him into slavery.
Saul became jealous because of the favor of God in David’s life. That jealousy moved him to try to kill David.
Jesus was put to death by those who were envious of His life and ministry (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10).
I’m human and so if I am honest, I will admit that I sometimes deal with jealousy. Sometimes I wonder why others seem to be so blessed. I wonder how they got that promotion, that attention from the boss, that privilege, etc…
It is not up to me to decide who gets what blessing. It is not up to me to make sure that someone who is unkind or lazy doesn’t get the promotion. I am not in charge. God is sovereign. God is in control. God is completely trustworthy. God works all things together for my good.
I am to do my best, to treat others fairly, to act kindly, to promote unity, to help others, to give to those in need, to live a life that would please God in every way. If I am busy doing what I am supposed to do, I won’t have time to worry about anyone else.
Jealousy is rooted in a false view of God.
- It says, “I want what God has chosen to give to others.”
- It says, “Doesn’t God know that I deserve better.“
- When I am jealous, I am complaining to God that I know what I need in my life better than he does.
It is like saying I don’t believe Psalm 84:11 is true; "no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless."
In order to defeat jealousy, we need to change our thinking.
- We need to take captive every thought. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
- We need to renew our minds. (Romans 12:2)
- We need to pray to have the mind of Christ. (Philippians 2:2-4)
There is another side of jealousy. While it is a bad thing in our lives, the Bible says that God is a jealous God. He is jealous concerning me and my affections. He doesn’t want me filling his place in my heart and life with other things. He demands first place.
The lyrics in the song below are:
“He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us, oh,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us all”
Remember that Jesus set the example for how we are to love others.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
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