Lent Guide 2023Sample

Monday – Jealousy and Envy

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Ephesians 4:31

Jealousy is to be afraid of losing a relationship or a part of a relationship which means a lot to me. Envy is to want something that someone else has.

Jealousy says you threaten my life by trying to take away someone I love’s attention, love, and care. Jealous thoughts can leave you with emotions of anger, sadness, and fear.

Envy says, I want what you have, and I don’t want you to have it. I even want you to come to a fall and suffer loss. These thoughts can leave me with a deep dissatisfaction, resentment, and bitterness.

We can make jokes about envy and jealousy, and even pay someone a compliment by saying, “I’m so jealous of you!” We can fall for the advertisements that are geared towards making us dissatisfied and envious, but we’ll be left with the effect of envy and jealousy. The law warns us not to be jealous and envious (Ex 20:17). This instruction is repeated in the New Testament (Ef 4:31). In the history of the church, it has always been a big thing and was counted as one of the deadly sins.

Before we can beat evil with good, we need to admit to and accept envy and jealousy in our lives. ‘You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there’ (Jer. 6:14 LB).

Do I have a fear that something of great worth is going to be taken away from me by someone? Do I really want something that someone else has? Do I want them to lose it? What kind of conversation should I have with that person?

Can I confess my envy and jealousy to God and start moving with Him toward thinking differently about life, being transformed, and being set free from envy and jealousy?

How can I focus on the good that I have and not just on that which I don’t have?

How can I confess my envy and jealousy to become happy with what I have now?

How can I focus on the good that I have?

Grace:

Lord, I ask for the grace of a life free from comparison.