Love's Wicked Stepsisters, Jealousy and Envy

In my mind I sometimes give characteristics fictitious bodies to live in. I think jealousy and envy versus love meshes nicely with the story of Cinderella.

While jealousy and envy are equally nasty states of mind, we need to realize some differences between the two. Envy is a direct conflict against the one being envied. Jealousy is a triangle. It requires a subject, a rival, and the person or thing one is jealous over. For instance, with envy, you may covet what someone else has, even if that someone who is in possession of said object is a friend or enemy. With jealousy, a common triangle could be a couple in the midst of divorce viaing for the preferential affection of their child. Whichever situation it is, jealous and envy are loves' fiercest enemies. Who is really wounded by this behavior? All parties involved, but with the perpetrator of the vile emotions suffering the most. Why? Such emotions are all-consuming. They eat up vital energy that could be better put to use elsewhere.

Consider Cain in Genesis 4: 2-14. He was jealous because of God's favor of Abel's sacrifice over his. Before Abel's murder took place, God spoke to Cain about why his sacrifice was rejected; but instead of changing his attitude, Cain took his anger out on his brother. Abel was an innocent victim of his brother's wrath (Heb. 11: 4).

God's Word says that envy rots the bones (Prov. 14: 30) and cannot be connected to love (1 Cor. 13: 4). Jealousy causes quarrelling and is worldly (1 Cor. 3: 3). It is also lumped together with hatred, discord, and fits of rage as acts of a sinful nature (Gal. 5: 20).

Jealousy and envy cause you to feel sick inside. They eat away at your soul like a cancer. Examine yourself regularly and make it your priority to banish such destructive thoughts immediately. If you're feeling one or the other, ask yourself why you feel so. Do you want something someone else has? Would it improve your station in life in some respect? Why do you not have that same blessing? Have you not been willing, as perhaps the other person has, to make the necessary sacrifices to obtain it? Is it a price you would be willing to pay? You may realize it isn't. Why are you not grateful for and content with what you already have?

The only cure for these two "heart diseases" is love. Love is defined in 1 Cor. 13. Read and meditate on that passage often--especially when you feel such ugly emotions creeping into your heart. Lack of love for others makes any other attributes you possess worthless. Love builds up instead of tearing down (1 Cor. 8:1). One of Jesus' primary goals by His own example was to teach us to have love for one another (Mt. 19: 9; Jno. 13: 35; 15: 13; Rom. 5:5; 12: 9-10; and 13: 10). Love motivates us to action (1 Cor. 16: 4); love is the sugar in the medicine of the message that makes it go down smoother (Eph. 4: 15); and sincere love runs deeply (1 Pet. 1: 22).

Girlfriends, be as gorgeous on the inside as you are on the outside.

Love you all,

God Bless!