The
danger of having a jealous heart
Rejoice
with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15
The
famous novelist and playwright Samuel Beckett received great recognition for
his work—but not from everyone. Beckett’s marriage was plagued by his wife’s
jealousy of his growing fame and success.
So
one day in 1969, Samuel heard her answer the phone, listen for a moment, and
hang up. She turned to her husband and with a disappointed tone whispered,
“What a catastrophe.” She had just learned that Beckett had been awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature!
Jealousy
comes in different forms—good and bad. There is the good, kind jealousy that we
see in Exodus 20:5 where God tells the Israelites to have no other God except
for Him. This is not a jealousy birthed out of insecurity. God was not jealous
of other gods… He is jealous for the hearts of His people.
On
the other hand, there’s the bad kind of jealousy, a jealousy that is rooted in
sin and shame and wishes failure on others instead of success. This is the kind
of jealousy that, as Christians, we’re to avoid. In fact, as we see others who
are successful in life and who God blesses abundantly, were’ to rejoice with
them in those blessings!
Don’t
allow jealousy to embitter you. Instead, rejoice with those whom God blesses
and in due time, He’ll bless you, too!
Prayer Challenge
Ask
God to help you encourage others who are experiencing His blessings and rejoice
with them. When you’re blessed, they’ll rejoice with you as well!