FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS - THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER

 FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS - THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER

Jealousy (or envy) - is not a good thing.  

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.  Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this.

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

(Numbers 12:1-3)

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So Miriam and Aaron were envious of Moses.  God spoke face-to-face with Moses.  Moses was God’s favorite - not Miriam or Aaron.  

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? (1 Corinthians 3:3)

Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? (Proverbs 27:4)

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight (James 4:2)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, (Philippians 2:3)

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“O beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”  Shakespeare in Othello - Act 3, Scene 3

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Yes, humans want what others have.  Humans want what they lack.  I want to be rich, I want to be loved, I want a new Mercedes, I want <whatever>.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 4:14-16)

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It seems to be human nature to be jealous of others.  “I want what <name> has.” 

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house . . . your neighbor’s wife . . . nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17) (Part of the Ten Commandments)

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Learning to be content.  

It can be tough to live with what you’ve got.  I get ‘oodles’ of emails wanting to sell me something. 

Aside: I bought some shoes online and every day I get shoes and clothing offers. I could unsubscribe from that company, but someday I’m going to need (want?) new shoes and I am waiting for a good price, free shipping, in the right size, the right color.  So, I’ll get my oodles of emails and look briefly at them - and delete them.  There are even companies where I signed up to get offers and emails and I “know” I’ll never buy anything from them - but who knows - maybe I will buy something - someday!!!   Maybe those bras are so absolutely wonderful - but for $100 each, I’m going to pass and wear one of my six bras for $42 from Zulily!!

Lately, lots of my bridge friends are traveling.  One (with her husband) is on her second Caribbean vacation; another took a cruise that included going through the Panama Canal; another couple has booked their trip to Scotland for late August.  My friend wants me to go to Iceland with her.  But - there are a lot of “glittery” things that attract my attention.  

Throughout my whole life, I’ve had trouble saying “NO”.  I love to serve. In the month of May, there was only one night that I didn’t have something scheduled - work helping seniors, music (rehearsing and playing), and even ‘good’ things like Bible Study.  

I’ve asked for the summer off of work.  I've been working four evenings a week. They countered that I needed to work eight hours a month to remain in their system. (I opted to keep my Sunday evening shifts - so one evening rather than four per week). Do I need to work?  Not really.  But, I like (love?) to help out the seniors that I visit.  DH is 96, TL is 96, MD is 94, AP is 92; ML is a kid at 86!!!  I like brightening their days.  Reminding and helping them take their pills is good - but I also put some pizzazz into their lives.  Is that bad?  (Oh, it is just another night of work.) I'm being envious of having some free time instead of helping these seniors?

Am I being selfish to give up some work for myself?  I can rationalize both ways - “Those people need me / those people love me”; or “I really need some ‘me’ time.  I’m being run ragged.”

Philippians 4:11-12 “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little”.

1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

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Lord, let me NOT be jealous of what others have and what I don’t have.  Let me be content - no matter what!!

LOVE WINS!!

Karen