The ongoing battle with the jealousy bug shows no sign of letting up. It’s worse than the flu bug. There is no injection for this virus. Many are suffering because of it. There seems to be three distinct strains of the jealous virus.
The first is the jealousy of position. It has to do with titles and rankings. It’s onset usually coincides with an acquaintance receiving a promotion at work. Of course, everyone knows this person didn’t really deserve the promotion but got it by favoritism or trickery. If anyone deserved promotion, it was the afflicted person. A good antidote for this virus is Acts 10:34 (NIV) “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.”
The second strain is the jealousy of place. Many times this virus attacks when a friend or relative buys a new house in a nicer subdivision or gets invited to join a certain club or even a church that caters to a certain “kind” of people. The “snobbery germ” has been detected in this virus but has not been completely isolated. You might try a quick dose of the medicine Jesus prescribed in Luke 3:14 (NIV) “Be content with your pay.” I know it is a tough pill to swallow.
The third strain is particularly dangerous. It is the dreadful jealousy of possessions. A new dress or television or car or any little material thing can bring a sudden onset of this virus. You need to disinfect your house for the “envy bug”. It multiplies rapidly. The Bible, however, does have a prescription. You may need spiritual help to take this medicine. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV) It is strong medicine. Do you want healing from the jealousy virus or not?
“God, you have blessed us all abundantly! Help us learn to be content
with our life situation and use it to help the less fortunate people. Amen”
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