Jealousy

God tells us He is a jealous God. His jealousy is rooted in love for His children because He knows if we stray we will eventually experience heartache.

Human jealousy can be an evil thing. It thinks the worst about a person's actions and it attempts either to control or destroy the object of one's jealousy. Proverbs 6:34 says, "For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge." (ESV) Revenge is definitely NOT rooted in love.

The most unfortunate type of jealousy is that found among Christ followers who cannot celebrate a move of God in a particular body of believers. The jealous want to question or denounce or ridicule the things that might be happening. They scoff and criticize the pastor or the church but what they are really doing is scoffing and criticizing God.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Pharisees said, "What do we do now?" they asked. "This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have." John 11:47-48 (MSG)

The Pharisees were the church leaders of their day. They couldn't celebrate the great things God was doing in their midst because they were concerned about THEIR position, THEIR power, THEIR privilege.

Ultimately jealousy is selfishness and wishing I could have what someone else has. Everyone probably battles that demon to some degree - someone gets the job you hoped to have or gets recognition for a joint project and you don't or goes on nice vacations or has a better house or car or kids or whatever. 

In churches people are jealous of the attendance numbers or the salvation numbers or the church's expansions or the pastor's speaking opportunities. But in the church, as in my life, God is in control and it is HIS plan that is at work. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the deires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 (ESV) Whether an individul or a church, we must keep walking with Jesus, being faithful to do all He asks, celebrating everything He does no matter how small and God will do what only God can do.