Spiritual Warfare #11

Continuing on with The Truth About the Landmines of Jealousy and Envy by Charles Stanley
The consequences of jealousy and envy are deadly.
A critical spirit Jealousy breeds sin, and it also is a direct pathway to cynicism. People who become jealous at the mention of another's success or something a friend has received are usually very negative. They look for ways to undermine the efforts of others.
A divided mind. If you are jealous, you will not be able to focus clearly. In fact, you will be distracted. You may have sensed God telling you to go forward in a certain direction. Instead of moving out to do His will, you linger, wondering who is going to get the next assignment.
Anger, bitterness, and resentfulness. You can only suppress bitterness so long. This is because attitudes like bitterness and jealousy are written in the eyes. Anger and bitterness are written on a person's countenance. The author of Provers wrote, "The north wind brings forth rain, / And a backbiting tongue, and angry countenance." (25:23)
A sense of insecurity. Jealousy changes the object of our focus. We become insecure, wondering whether we have done the right thing. It is important to be the best you can be at work, in relationships, and in church or civic projects, but you should never forget you are living on God's timeline within His economy. He has a plan to bless you, but first you must learn to follow Him.

We'll look at the next six consequences of jealousy and envy tomorrow. There's good stuff here, good warnings to keep our hearts in check. Have a blessed day!