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HOW CAN I DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH JEALOUSY?

Have you ever felt jealous of someone else's success? Maybe your neighbor has a brand new car, or perhaps someone at work got the promotion you desired. When situations like these stir up unexpected reactions within us, we just might have a problem.

Jealousy is the emotion of extreme displeasure upon seeing someone else's good fortune-and it can poison good relationships, ruin our witness, and keep us from experiencing God's blessing. The bible calls jealousy a work of the flesh (Gal 5:19,20)

Is it possible to take control of a jealous attitude? Yes! Since god wants his children to take charge over these volatile emotions, let's examine some specific things you can do to gain victory.

1: CONFESS YOUR JEALOUSY.

This emotion will always-always-take your eyes off the lord and fix them on some other person or object. That, at its heart, is idolarty. Whenever you place a higher value on some "thing" than you place in god, you put yourself under divine judgement. Repent of that sin Immediatly!

2: REALIZE THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH GOD.

If the lord chooses to bring some specific blessing into another persons life, then that is His prerogative. Your jealousy merely declares that you think you deserve the blessing more than the other person. Bring this disagreemant honestly before the lord and ask him to restore a godly perspective to you.

3: THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE'S DOING IN THAT PERSON'S LIFE.

You may not like this point! but when you praise god-even if you do not feel like it-you put yourself in a position to recieve his blessing by showing that you fully trust his judgement.

4: ASK GOD TO PLACE LOVE IN YOUR HEART FOR THE OTHER PERSON.

So often in the scripture the word anger follows the word jealous. Do not allow jealousy to stir up malice and hate. Instead, learn how to rejoice when others recieve blessings, even when you believe you should have recieved those blessings isstead.

5: KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON GOD ALONE.

Delight in him, knowing that he's promised to give you the desires of your heart. Focus first and fore most on what he's done for you and the promises he's made to you through his Word. Always remember that god is god, and that it is his perogative to bless each one of us in exactly the way he sees fit