Spiritual Warfare #15

Surrender Leads to Victory by Charles Stanley

How do you handle the jealousy of another person toward you?

First, you need to ask God to show you what you need to learn through this situation.
Before a jealous person irritates you, be willing to pray for him, and ask God to help you understand how you can serve that individual rather than shun him.

Second, you need to make a conscious decision to ignore any harsh words that have been spoken as a result of jealous feelings. Allow Him to defend you and also to take care of your reputation. People also become jealous as a result of feelings of worthlessness. You may not be able to speak truth to a person who is struggling with this landmine, but you certainly can refuse to take a wrong turn - a turn that could lead to destruction.

Third, ask God to show you if there is something that you have done to create an atmosphere of jealousy.

Fourth, show the person who is struggling with jealousy some form of kindness. Kindness is a powerful tool. Compliment her. Or make a point to help her in some way. The other person may never know what you have done or may never care. However, God sees your good intentions, and He will bless you, not just for your act of kindness, but for the change in the attitude of your heart.

Fifth, pray for your attitude to be changed and also for the person involved to focus on the Lord and His purposes instead of seeking to bring disunity to the lives of others. Sometimes, if another person is jealous of you, then the moment you begin to talk with him, you can feel the walls go up. No one needs to become a doormat for others, but we certainly need to allow God to use us and teach us how to have humble, pliable hearts for Him.

That finishes chapter four. Tomrrow we start the Landmine of Insecurity, chapter 5. It's faboulous. I have so much highlighted it will take a while to go through this chapter. I absolutely devoured it. I hope you do too!