Hollywood Prayer Network On Jealousy And EnvySample

ENVY & JEALOUSY COME FROM THE HEART, SO LET JESUS TRANSFORM IT! 

"O, Jealousy, thou ugliest fiend of hell! thy deadly venom preys on my vitals, turns the healthful hue of my fresh cheek to haggard shallowness, and drinks my spirit up." Hannah More 

"The cure for the sin of envy and jealousy is to find our contentment in God." Jerry Bridges 

PRAY:  Dear Jesus, Your very words in the gospel of Mark warn us that our sins come straight out of our heart. So, jealousy is a heart issue! When I am jealous that means I have a jealous heart. And Lord, You list so many awful things that I have to take Your warning seriously and not do these things. But I need You to help me, to give me strength and courage, to keep going when I make mistakes, and to know that only with You are these sins possible to resist. I need You desperately every moment, Jesus, because I am weak on my own. But when I am weak, then You are strong in me. So, thank You for reminding me that I have a sinful heart but, also, that You are always there for me so I can choose not to sin. Amen.

REFLECT:  In Mark, Jesus lists jealousy and envy with other horrible sins, like murder and adultery, as sins that come out of our heart and defile us. And yet, He also lists folly and arrogance on the list, which we would rate as lesser sins than some, especially murder. So, first of all, Jesus' list of sins shows that any sin is bad and separates us from God. He just doesn't tell us which ones are less bad and which sins are worse. He lists everything together and tells us it all comes out of our heart and we defile ourselves and others. That is very humbling. It also shows that we do indeed need Jesus desperately, because without having the Holy Spirit live in us, our dark hearts will do terrible things. Jealousy and envy are hard to control, but with God, ALL things are possible.

ACT:  Look inside your own heart right now and ask the Lord what He sees? Do you see any of these sins that Jesus lists in Mark? Are you jealous of anyone right now? Do you envy the co-worker who just got a promotion? Or the friend who gets all the lucky breaks? Do you wish you had your neighbor's car? You can start this week on jealously and envy by being honest with yourself and being willing to look deep into your heart to find out what's in there. This is the time to face your jealous thoughts and nip them in the bud right now.