Hollywood Prayer Network On Jealousy And EnvyНамуна

BE CAREFUL NOT TO SLIP

"Envy is pain at the good fortune of others." Aristotle

"Envy blinds men and makes it impossible for them to think clearly." Malcolm X 

PRAY:  God, You are so good to us, knowing that we're going to mess up. Please be there to catch me when I slip. When I lose my emotional or spiritual foothold and start envying other people, I need Your help to pull me back. I don't want to be worldly. Please help me to avoid jealousy and quarreling so that I don't act like a mere human. I want to be Christ-like in all that I do, so that I stand out as a Christian who is not worldly, but heavenly, minded. I can't do it without You, so help me Lord, when I slip and let me accept Your forgiveness and start again when I lose my footing. It's inevitable, Lord, but I want to keep my eyes on You to lessen the chances. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

REFLECT:  This Old Testament and New Testament's juxtaposition of these two verses shows us that we struggle with the same temptations and sin today that the people of Israel did thousands of years ago. This should help us be aware of the human condition and not be surprised when we fall. But it should also make us take sin more seriously and be prepared for it to come instead of being shocked when we're in the middle of it. We will be jealous. We will covet what others have and we will envy those who are smarter, richer, more powerful, more beautiful, kinder, more charming, more successful, and better dressed that we are. That shouldn't be a surprise. Now the issue is how to handle it so that it won't get the best of us. That's where prayer, planning, and purpose are important. As Christians we have to live on the offense, not on the defense. We should prepare for any possible sin or temptation to come our way and know exactly what we are going to do about it when, not if, it happens. Do you have a plan?

ACT:  It's time to make a plan! Sin is coming. What will you do about it? First of all, you must pray. Pray offensively, asking the Lord to prepare you for what's to come and asking Him to show you wise steps to avoid falling into temptation. Next, learn the signs of how jealousy and envy sneak up on you and make a plan to counter it. If you have a negative or sarcastic thought or word against someone, hold your tongue and ask yourself WHY you were about to say that. Then instead, turn that negative thought or words into something positive - a compliment, a celebratory remark, or even a smile or a hug. Then remember your purpose: You are a Christ follower who wants to please Him by loving other people and putting others first. Jealousy and envy have no room to thrive in you. Your purpose will trump negativity every time, if you are prepared and committed to the task. You can do it!