Continuing on with pride and envy by Charles Stanley
A loss of privileges and opportunities When there is no peace, contentment, or happiness within our hearts, others will have a hard time working alongside us. When others sense that we are jealous or envious, they will make note of this and steer clear.
Broken fellowship with God You can read your Bible and pray, but something will be missing because there will be a wall between you and the Lord. This is because jealousy is a self-centered emotion. In some cases, a jealous person cannot pray with true devotion because she only wants to ask God to deal with "the other person." And the other person may be someone He has chosen to bless.
Physical sickness Bitterness, resentment, hostility, anger, jealousy, and envy can be stepping-stones to phyiscal disease. When your heart is right with God, you will be healthier. The writer of Provers noted, "A joyful heart is good medicine, / But a broken spirit dries up the bones" (17:22).
We'll stop there today. Tomorrow we'll look at seven ways to disarm jealousy.
Showing posts with label Envy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Envy. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Spiritual Warfare #10
Your Situation From God's Perspective by Charles Stanley
Jealousy starts inside us - usually with a thought or a feeling that another person has more than we do. Our first inclination is to deny its existence: "I'm not really jealous." Deep inside, however, we look for ways to undermine the other person. We may accomplish this through shutting this person out of our lives or working to turn others against him or her. There is a simple principle we must not forget: we reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.
The earmarks of jealousy include the following:
Comparison
Competition. Whether it is on the job or in your neighborhood, a competitive attitude can breed anxiety, depression, and hopelessness because it tempts yo to ask, Am I as good as or even better than him or her? The question you really need to ask is, Am I doing my best?
Fear A jealous person is fearful of being replaced by somebody or something. Strife and dissension are two of the devil's favorite weapons for war. He wants us to be at odds with God and others. The solution to jealousy is not to deny it, because you can never defeat envy and resentment on your own. It is found in admitting it to the Lord, asking Him to forgive you, and then praying that He would help you see your life from His perspective.
Many people in our world are struggling with feelings of depression, and so much of it could be avoided if only they would rest in God's providential care. I know there are clinical reasons for some depression, but far too often the anxiety and stress people feel come from the overflow of the pressure they place on themselves.
We'll stop there today. Next we'll look at the truth about the landmines of jealousy and envy. Just a side note, I've noticed that warfare usually comes before we're about to really make a difference for God. Many times the enemy starts working to create havoc in our lives before we even know we've been called. You may be reading this and struggling to understand why things are happening they way they are in your life. It could be that you're about to change something in your spiritual life, God is about to call you to something great, and you don't even know it yet. Be courageous, anxious to see what God will be unfolding in your life and face the enemy head on. He'll 'run like the devil'!
Jealousy starts inside us - usually with a thought or a feeling that another person has more than we do. Our first inclination is to deny its existence: "I'm not really jealous." Deep inside, however, we look for ways to undermine the other person. We may accomplish this through shutting this person out of our lives or working to turn others against him or her. There is a simple principle we must not forget: we reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.
The earmarks of jealousy include the following:
Comparison
Competition. Whether it is on the job or in your neighborhood, a competitive attitude can breed anxiety, depression, and hopelessness because it tempts yo to ask, Am I as good as or even better than him or her? The question you really need to ask is, Am I doing my best?
Fear A jealous person is fearful of being replaced by somebody or something. Strife and dissension are two of the devil's favorite weapons for war. He wants us to be at odds with God and others. The solution to jealousy is not to deny it, because you can never defeat envy and resentment on your own. It is found in admitting it to the Lord, asking Him to forgive you, and then praying that He would help you see your life from His perspective.
Many people in our world are struggling with feelings of depression, and so much of it could be avoided if only they would rest in God's providential care. I know there are clinical reasons for some depression, but far too often the anxiety and stress people feel come from the overflow of the pressure they place on themselves.
We'll stop there today. Next we'll look at the truth about the landmines of jealousy and envy. Just a side note, I've noticed that warfare usually comes before we're about to really make a difference for God. Many times the enemy starts working to create havoc in our lives before we even know we've been called. You may be reading this and struggling to understand why things are happening they way they are in your life. It could be that you're about to change something in your spiritual life, God is about to call you to something great, and you don't even know it yet. Be courageous, anxious to see what God will be unfolding in your life and face the enemy head on. He'll 'run like the devil'!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Spiritual Warfare #9
Winning the Struggle of Jealousy by Charles Stanley
Doctors now believe that so much of the sickness and even depression and anxiety people experience comes as a result of feeling jealous, guilty, angry, hostile, and unforgiving toward others.
It is common knowledge that landmines such as unforgiveness, fear, jealousy, envy, and more take a toll on us physically. We must work through these emotional landmines or face the consequences, which usually show up in our physical health.
Often when we are tempted to become jealous, we are afraid that someone will take our place. There is a possessiveness hidden within jealousy that is very dangerous.
I have to stop short today. Lots to do in a short amount of time. Things are moving along with the remodel. We are waiting for revised plans and yesterday we locked in our loan. It was the first time that I didn't get a call that said, the rate just went up another 1/8 or 1/4 of a percent, but instead got a call that it went down 1/8 of a point! That's what happens when your mortgage broker is a Christian! Have a great Saturday!
Doctors now believe that so much of the sickness and even depression and anxiety people experience comes as a result of feeling jealous, guilty, angry, hostile, and unforgiving toward others.
It is common knowledge that landmines such as unforgiveness, fear, jealousy, envy, and more take a toll on us physically. We must work through these emotional landmines or face the consequences, which usually show up in our physical health.
Often when we are tempted to become jealous, we are afraid that someone will take our place. There is a possessiveness hidden within jealousy that is very dangerous.
I have to stop short today. Lots to do in a short amount of time. Things are moving along with the remodel. We are waiting for revised plans and yesterday we locked in our loan. It was the first time that I didn't get a call that said, the rate just went up another 1/8 or 1/4 of a percent, but instead got a call that it went down 1/8 of a point! That's what happens when your mortgage broker is a Christian! Have a great Saturday!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Spiritual Warfare #8
The Landmines of Jealousy and Envy by Charles Stanley
Whenever you sense feelings of envy and jealousy growing, you must answer two questions: How will I respond to the jealous feelings, and how will I deal with my actions, which usually include feelings of anger? Before launching a full-blown assault on the person you believe is your offender, you need to remember Satan's primary goal: shift your focus away from God and onto your circumstances.
You may feel forgotten in a relationship, on your job, or even in your church, but He will never overlook you.
Detonating the Landmine of Jealousy
If you only see your life in light of what you don't have when compared to someone else, you will never learn to enjoy what God has given you.
You may be thinking, Doesn't God say He is jealous for us? The answer is yes, but it is a different type of jealousy; it is not the kind of jealousy that leads to envy and sin. It is a protective jealousy that is much greater than a loving parent would have for a son or daughter.
If we do not receive what we think we should, we become jealous, and in doing so we overlook God's goodness and holiness. We sidestep His love and miss a wonderful opportunity for a deeper relationship with Him.
Learning to live apart from jealousy may seem hard to do, but it is not. To accomplish this we must come to a point where we realize that partial obedience is not obedience. In other words, you cannot be kind to a person in her presence and then behind her back spew out words of jealousy and envy against her.
He [God] tells us it [jealousy] is wrong because He knows it divides our minds and creates an atmosphere of resentment in our hearts.
In a very real way, the various landmines mentioned in this book are connected. Often one explosion can lead to another. Jealousy can create an atmosphere of anxiety and fear within our hearts.
The flow will go something like this: jealousy leads to envy and envy to anger and anger to fear. The cycle will continue until we become paralyzed or until we turn to God and ask for His intervention.
Anyone who trusts God for the future should never be threatened by the blessings given to another person.
Jealousy is a Matter of Choice
Everything - learning to obey God starts with a heart that is turned toward Him. Anything that threatens to erode our relationship with God should be avoided at all costs.
Tomorrow we'll look at Winning the Struggle of Jealousy. It's important to note a few of the things quoted in this chapter so far. The first is that partial obedience isn't obedience. The second is that one landmine can lead to another in a chain reaction. That's why it's so important to check our hearts as soon as we feel a negative feeling coming over us towards another person. I've seen this particular landmine start in insecurity and lead to gossip and the exclusion of others. Insecurity will be covered in Chapter 5. Some of the other topics we'll cover are Compromise, Unforgiveness, Disappointment, Fear, Immorality, and Slothfulness (laziness). Should be a fun ride!
Whenever you sense feelings of envy and jealousy growing, you must answer two questions: How will I respond to the jealous feelings, and how will I deal with my actions, which usually include feelings of anger? Before launching a full-blown assault on the person you believe is your offender, you need to remember Satan's primary goal: shift your focus away from God and onto your circumstances.
You may feel forgotten in a relationship, on your job, or even in your church, but He will never overlook you.
Detonating the Landmine of Jealousy
If you only see your life in light of what you don't have when compared to someone else, you will never learn to enjoy what God has given you.
You may be thinking, Doesn't God say He is jealous for us? The answer is yes, but it is a different type of jealousy; it is not the kind of jealousy that leads to envy and sin. It is a protective jealousy that is much greater than a loving parent would have for a son or daughter.
If we do not receive what we think we should, we become jealous, and in doing so we overlook God's goodness and holiness. We sidestep His love and miss a wonderful opportunity for a deeper relationship with Him.
Learning to live apart from jealousy may seem hard to do, but it is not. To accomplish this we must come to a point where we realize that partial obedience is not obedience. In other words, you cannot be kind to a person in her presence and then behind her back spew out words of jealousy and envy against her.
He [God] tells us it [jealousy] is wrong because He knows it divides our minds and creates an atmosphere of resentment in our hearts.
In a very real way, the various landmines mentioned in this book are connected. Often one explosion can lead to another. Jealousy can create an atmosphere of anxiety and fear within our hearts.
The flow will go something like this: jealousy leads to envy and envy to anger and anger to fear. The cycle will continue until we become paralyzed or until we turn to God and ask for His intervention.
Anyone who trusts God for the future should never be threatened by the blessings given to another person.
Jealousy is a Matter of Choice
Everything - learning to obey God starts with a heart that is turned toward Him. Anything that threatens to erode our relationship with God should be avoided at all costs.
Tomorrow we'll look at Winning the Struggle of Jealousy. It's important to note a few of the things quoted in this chapter so far. The first is that partial obedience isn't obedience. The second is that one landmine can lead to another in a chain reaction. That's why it's so important to check our hearts as soon as we feel a negative feeling coming over us towards another person. I've seen this particular landmine start in insecurity and lead to gossip and the exclusion of others. Insecurity will be covered in Chapter 5. Some of the other topics we'll cover are Compromise, Unforgiveness, Disappointment, Fear, Immorality, and Slothfulness (laziness). Should be a fun ride!
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