‘ . . . the idea of God owing you something probably strikes you the same way it did me at first – absurd. How could God owe me something? As a Christian, I’ve always believed that I owe him everything. Perhaps that’s why our jealousy is so easily misdirected. And perhaps that’s why it seems impossible to conquer.”- Andy Stanley (emphasis author’s)
In Chapter 9 (“Jealousy: God Owes Me”) of Enemies of the Heart, Andy Stanley states we assume that our jealousy problem is with the person possessing what we lack. Yet, Pastor Stanley asserts, we must face the fact that God could have fixed all the things we lack for us. Andy adds:
“The point is, there’s an inequity that God could have remedied. Let’s face it, most of us believe on some level that if God had taken as good care of us as he has some people we know, our lives would be richer. . . . What was God thinking?”
However, the author explains, if you’re a Christian, your jealousy = an issue between you and God. Your Creator owes you. But, our jealousy rarely surfaces as we interact with God. It fails to register in our hearts that we bear a grudge against God. Thus, our jealousy rears its ugly head as we interact with others. It’s ironic, though, that the people we feel jealousy towards possess no power to remedy the situation.
Consequently, Andy cautions, as long as you deceive yourself into believing the problem centers in someone else, you’ll never get to the root of the issue. The tension usually remains.
One thing, however, serves as a salve to your jealousy. It occurs when the person you envy suffers a setback of some kind. That, in turn, creates a subconscious, despicable feeling of despair. And, where, Andy asks, did that feeling originate? Straight from your heart. Hence, until you deal with your jealous heart, you’ll find it impossible to follow this most basic Christian tenet – love one another.
Today’s question: How do you find your jealousy so easily misdirected? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: Unchecked old habits define us”
