One minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezekiel 14:12-16:41, Hebrews 7:18-28, Psalm 106:1-12, Proverbs 27:4-6
Daily Verse: “Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?” Prov. 27:4
Consuming fire.
Jealousy outranks wrath and anger when it comes to raging emotions. If you’ve ever built a campfire and added lighter fluid to get it going, you know what the immediate blaze looks like. Flames flicker into life with a little incentive, immediately consuming the wood and bringing light to the night air.
Defying reason, jealousy roars its ugly head quickly. Scrolling through Facebook, I feel envy when I see another author whose book just hit the New York Times bestseller list. Pictures of my friends with their grandkids cause me to long for what they have. Whatever the trigger, the emotion doesn’t take long to take hold.
To combat jealousy, I celebrate the other person’s blessing. “Joy not Jealousy,” from my book Three Word Prayers, reminds me to joyfully thank God for their wins, knowing His plan for me differs from theirs.
Don’t let jealousy consume you. Pray “Joy not Jealousy,” and allow God to soften your heart and help you celebrate their win.
Lord, forgive us for our jealous moments. Please help us contain the emotion, turn our thoughts to You, and celebrate other people’s victories. Don’t allow envy to ruin our relationships or control our thoughts. IJNIP. Amen
