Satan’s trap of “Jealousy” (4 of 4)
HOW SHOULD WE DEAL WITH JEALOUSY?
1. Acknowledge we are jealous.
– Admit to God that we are jealous.
2. Acknowledge we are in conflict with God.
– As long as we try to rationalize our feelings
of jealousy, we will not be able to deal with it.
– We have to confess to God that we are out of His Will.
Note:
This opens the door for God to help us deal with it.
3. Begin thanking God
for what He is doing in the other person’s life.
– This is a difficult task, but necessary.
– When we do that, we make our burden a little lighter.
– It’s hard to have the same intensity of envy when we are
thanking God for what He is doing in the other person’s life.
4. Be willing to do something good for the other person.
– We may be reluctant to do something good
when we feel the way we do.
– But we can’t allow feelings to control our actions.
– We may have to “will” ourselves to do what is right.
– We need to start by doing just one good thing for the other
person (a word of encouragement, a genuine compliment, etc.)
Note:
Ask God to show us what we should do, then do it.
– If jealousy comes from within us,
then the cure should come from within us.
– We cannot expect the other person to initiate it,
we have to initiate it ourselves.
5. Ask God how He sees the other person.
– The answer may be that he or she is walking in the center
of God’s will; he or she is being the person God wants
him or her to be.
– We need to ask God to help us see them as He sees them.
– God may tell us that He knows they make mistakes,
but that does not give us the right to be jealous of them.
– He will not get on our side when we are out of His will.
6. Re-focus on what God is doing in our lives.
– When most of our focus is on someone else,
we don’t spend enough time:
– Trying to see what God wants of us.
– Finding out how He is working in our lives.
Note:
We could be missing out on the blessings He has for us.
7. Read and claim Psalm 37:4.
– Don’t spend time trying to undermine others;
but delight ourselves in the Lord.
– God has the best for each of us
(we don’t have to be jealous).
WHEN OTHERS ARE JEALOUS OF US
1. Don’t just ignore them.
2. Try to figure out what is making them jealous.
– Ask God to show us what is making them jealous.
3. Show them some kindness.
– Kindness can dilute the anger and envy in another person.
4. Sincerely compliment them in some way.
Example:
“Congratulations on your promotion, you deserve it.”
Note:
Love never fails.
– We cannot make someone love us,
but when we express love, we still win.
We have joy, peace, contentment, etc.
5. Pray for them to get their focus on God.
– If concern for others is a cure for being jealous,
then we can pray an intercessory prayer for them.
– God can deal with others for us
(especially when we are praying for them).
– We may not even be able to talk to them (but God can).
6. Keep our focus on God.
– We shouldn’t focus on the other person;
we should trust God to deal with them.
Summary:
– Jealousy is listed with several other vile sins.
– It puts us in conflict with God, and His plans for our life.
– It causes our life to be in bondage (to comparisons, anger, etc.).
– It causes us to have a life of strife and turmoil.
– It can destroy relationships with others, and with God.
– It can cause unneeded tensions in a marriage.
– It causes us to miss out on God’s blessings for us.
– It makes us less useful for His purposes.
– It can cause us to be physically ill.
Note:
No one wants to live a life in this manner.
– If we have jealousy and envy in our hearts,
we need to choose to do something about it now.
– With God’s help, we can change our life into
one of peace, contentment and joy.
Note:
A lost person will not be able to deal with it
in the same way as a believer.
– Because they do not have
the power of the Holy Spirit within them.
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
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