Being in a situation where you don't get what you desire or see your life going the way you dreamt can lead to discontent, envy or jealousy. Especially if someone close to you seems to be living their best life and getting all the things you desire.
According to Languagetool, Envy is “the painful feeling of wanting what someone else has, like attributes or possessions.” If you're jealous, you feel “threatened, protective, or fearful of losing one's position or situation to someone else”. Jealousy and envy are both negative feelings of desire for what another person has.
The Bible warns us about envy and most people would say it's not good to be envious or jealous of someone. But the truth is that we are humans, and we are naturally selfish. When someone gets what we have been working or praying for, we instantly become envious or jealous and wonder when it will be our turn. Some people become depressed, others throw tantrums, and some don't want to sit idly by but try to take others’ blessings by force.
It's only natural to feel like that. But what matters is what you do with these feelings. If you are like me, feeling that way can be very frustrating, especially when you know God's stand on the issue. In my struggle with envy and jealousy, I came to know that it’s only the Holy Spirit who can help us not be jealous of others. I don't know how He does it; all I know is that He takes away the jealousy.
Someone might say I am not jealous of anyone, but deep down inside of you, you know it is not true. I used to be like that. When someone gets blessed, especially with something I want, the first thing that happens is the sting or tightness in my chest, and then I think, ‘What about me?’ All in the space of 5 seconds.
It's not usually because I’m not happy for them or I didn't want them to be blessed. It's just that I’ve wanted the same thing for a while now. I struggled with it for a long time and tried severally not to be jealous, and it didn't work. I finally gave up and asked the Holy Spirit for help. And He started working on my heart. The funny thing is that I didn't notice it until one day when I was in a situation where I would normally be jealous, and I was not. I was sincerely happy for the person. There wasn't any tightness in my chest or whining ‘What about me?’ I had to pause and think, ‘What's going on here? I am not envious of this?’ Then I started screaming thank you, Holy Spirit in my head.
The feeling of contentment is so peaceful and amazing. You cannot get to that point on your own. Ask the Holy Spirit for help today, and you will be surprised at what He will do in your life. And I don't think we can truly attain real intimacy with God and receive all He has for us if we are not sincerely glad for someone else.
Comments