“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.” 1 Corinthians 13:4
March 1, 2023
“Hey! Jealous Lover, You’re acting so strange, Hey, Jealous Lover, What is making you change?” These are some of the lyrics of a popular song a generation ago. The ESV translation of jealous is envy. They are linguistic siblings. Jealousy is the longing for the betterment of oneself to the detriment of another. The words of the song “Jealous Lover,” tell a story of disordered love, an attitude of not wanting someone else to have what he or she has. Unchecked jealousy can lead to ugly changes in behavior, even to murder itself. But think of Jesus. He was not jealous of the popular brand of religiosity of His day. Pompous and proud were the Pharisees, awing people with their learning. The system did not get to Jesus. Like Jesus we can choose to refuse to be resentful because love knows God and is content with the life God has given. How easily am I threatened by others? How wrong-headed it is to buy into the idea that to provoke jealousy in that special other is proof of their love. Jealousy and envy are actually signals as to how self-centered one is.
H
“Dear Lord, work in me a contentment with you and what you have given me that what I don’t have is not a threat.”