The Bible talks of a “spirit of jealousy” and if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of it, you won’t hesitate to believe.  This is a spirit that divides those who are meant to be the best of friends, the closest, dearest and most faithful of companions.  It’s wily, pervasive, and deadly to all concerned.

If, like myself, you’ve been a victim of this spirit from childhood, but by some miracle were never prone to jealousy yourself, you are jealousy’s lesser victim.  The real victims of the spirit of jealousy are those under its power.  Not only can they never have a true and unblemished friendship, but perhaps even more tragically, they can never attain that thing about which they’re jealous.

If you’re filled with a furious disdain for the lovely blonde with the darling tribe of little blonde children, obviously cared for by a doting daddy somewhere (or not, you don’t know), let that fury be your signal, your clanging bell with flashing red lights on the arm over the railroad crossing.  There’s a freight train of destruction headed your way, and you’d better stop right now.  This train means to make absolutely certain you never have that family of your own, or whatever it is you fear to even hope for.

Don’t just say “no” say, “ABSOLUTELY NOT, YOU FOUL, LYING, PUTRID DEMON SPIRIT.  I love, admire, respect, pray for, and enjoy the sight of that beautiful little family.  And I know that they have their trials and troubles, and again, I pray for them.  And I dare to believe that You, Lord God Almighty, have the very deepest desires of my heart, for me as well.  I can choose jealousy and defeat, or I can choose faith working through love.  I not only choose faith working through love, I embrace it and hold fast to it, and declare I will never again be under the sway of jealousy.”

Jealousy runs rampant in our society, also known as “class envy” and fostering a festering and demonic hatred in those who want what others have.  Again, until they, jealousy’s primary victims, are free of this spirit, they will never have what they desire.  When we submit to Satan we guarantee our own blindness and defeat. 

The key is to choose to admire people for those relationships, talents, attributes, gifts, accomplishments and possessions you currently lack, and to kick jealousy in the teeth by loving those people in thought and deed.  Then your mind will be cleared of the filth produced by jealousy, and you will see your way clear to praying and believing what the Word of God Himself says about being “no respecter of persons” and giving you “the desires of your heart.”  Then your mind will see yourself as “complete and lacking nothing” and you will laugh at the very idea that you are somehow less than anyone else.

Choose Jesus’ Love, not Jealousy’s Torment.  Those people you think you hate are the very ones God wants you to bless, and vice versa.  Amen!