Luke 19:47-48, “And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.”

Jealous, by definition: 1. hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage; 2. intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness; 3. vigilant in guarding a possession.

According to GoodTherapy.org, “In the spectrum of human emotions, jealousy is almost certainly one of the most complex, frustrating, and uncomfortable. This cocktail of anger, sadness, suspicion, and envy can destroy relationships, cause bouts of depression and anxiety, and even lead to serious violence or—in extreme cases—homicide. While jealousy and envy are sometimes used synonymously, jealousy refers to the fear of losing someone or something you value, while envy is resentment over something you don’t have but want.”

In my opinion, this scripture is a perfect example of the irrational lure of jealousy.

We all, more than likely, have had our own experience with it a time or two in our life time. You were either a victim or a perpetrator of it. It is that common!

Before we jump into our topic, I would like to take time to talk about emotions.

Feelings are important. We must not cover them up and act like they don’t exist. Rather, we must acknowledge them. Expose them to God, and allow him to work his perfect work – and free us. This is especially true for jealousy.

If we don’t get control of our flesh, it can lead us to some places we would rather not be.

1 Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Fasting is an important tool for the believer. When we fast, we are taking action to draw closer to God, to align ourselves with his word. This is the duty of every believer.

What keeps us grounded, is our ability to come to God and be completely transparent before him. This means, while we are in our secret closet talking to God, we reveal everything to him. Prayer is a conversation between you and God. When we talk to him, and show him the ugliness of our lives, he is able to touch it, to deliver us and set us free.

But when we try to keep the cover on this ugliness, we are simply keeping ourselves bound to the sin tied to emotion. We deal with the guilt and shame. We feel an embarrassment that keeps us feeling depressed and anxious. The longer we allow this to go on, will make room for those feelings to spread and infect every area of our lives.

One of my favorite scriptures is Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Because Jesus was in this flesh, he knows and understands the feelings we have – because he felt them too. Yet, without sin. He is our perfect example. He felt things, but he over came them. And because he did, so can we.

Just a few examples:

⁃ He was anxious in the garden of Gethsemane.

⁃ He was angry in the temple.

⁃ He was hungry (as he was taken up to be tempted by satan).

⁃ He was sad (Jesus wept).

⁃ He felt betrayal (Judas).

⁃ He felt alone (asked his disciples if they would leave him too).

Taking a look specifically at jealousy.

Jealousy caused Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery (Genesis 37:11).

James 3:14-16, tells us where jealousy is there is confusion. And every evil work.

The worst thing we can do is to lie to ourselves and others, while trying to cover up the truth of how we feel. When we recognize that we are feeling jealousy we must take swift action.

Jealousy is a cancer to the soul. It is not of God, nor is God pleased with it. The expectation is that once you recognize it in yourself, you will confess it to God, repent, and allow God to deliver you from it. You must fast over it – bring your flesh under submission to the Holy Spirit.

Jealousy is tricky because it involves you and no one else. The trick of the enemy is to convince you that it is someone else’s fault. But it sprouted up from a seed that was planted. A seed that we nurtured and allow to grow. If we do not get a hold of it, It will bear fruit. This fruit is sinful actions.

Jealousy generally comes from our own lack, or failure, or character flaws, etc. We see someone excelling in areas we aspire to. Instead of rejoicing with them, we take it as an indictment against us. We now have animosity toward that person. The target of our jealousy usually is not even aware of what’s going on.

Jealousy will stunt spiritual growth. Jealousy does not allow space for forgiveness. A jealous heart will not seek it.

Rather than going down this downward spiral, let’s us acknowledge it before it is too late. Tell God all about it, in detail. There is a saying, “the devil is in the details,” well let us expose him. We will tell God all about it.

If you do, I guarantee you will be completely delivered. For God alone is able!

If you find yourself in this situation, now is the perfect time to seek deliverance. God is always listening.

My prayer for us all is freedom from jealousy!

Have a blessed night!