The Green Eyed Monster
‘O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on’ Othello, Act III, Scene III.
Shakespeare’s vivid and poetic description of jealousy aptly describes how envy can harm its bearer. The damage caused by our jealousy is not just to ourselves though. It can discourage and belittle others and harm our relationship with God.
There are stark warnings of this in the Bible, like when King Saul tries to kill David, his faithful soldier, out of jealous rage.
However, it can also play out in much subtler ways.
A while ago, I was out with a friend. We were sharing about all kinds of things. She told me about something that had happened some time ago, and I responded, “I’m so jealous”.
Immediately, I saw the guilt on her face, and I regretted what I said. She was sharing faithfully, and, in that moment, I made her feel guilty for doing so.
Thankfully, we have a great friendship, and no damage was done. The topic changed and we still had a lot of fun that evening.
But that moment has stayed with me.
It is so easy to look at another person’s life and feel envious of something they have – their home, marriage, children, parents, talents, finances, beauty. In fact, the list is almost endless.
The truth is though, in whatever way you see another person is blessed, there will undoubtedly be other things in their life that cause them to suffer greatly. It may be something we have no conception of. None of us are free from suffering. We may want another’s blessings; but could we also bear their pain?
And, if we cause them to feel guilty for the good things in their life, what do they have left to rejoice in?
That is one reason it is so important to rejoice with people when things are going well for them (Romans 12:15) In so doing, we can help them to feel joy and gratitude for the blessings God has granted, and maybe even take the edge off the burdens they inevitably face.
Jealousy doesn’t just harm other people; it can drive a wedge between us and God.
Interestingly, Colossians 3:5 equates covetousness with idolatry. When we let desire for what others have, take root in our heart and mind, we stop trusting God’s plan for us. It’s like saying ‘you’ve got it wrong God, I should have that!’
What is the cure?
In Timothy 6:8, Paul reminds us that if we have food and clothes, we have something to be thankful for, and can practise contentment in those small things.
Psalm 37:4 is also a good reminder not to delight in *what* we have, but *who* we have. If we focus our hearts and minds on Jesus, bringing our wayward thoughts back to him, and reminding ourselves of what he has done for us, we will find delight in him. And when we delight in the Lord, he has promised to give us the desires of our heart.
You can trust God to give you the best of everything. Your best may not look the same as your friend’s, the adverts on the screens, or the picture-perfect posts on social media. The best for you will be exactly what you need to be fruitful in God’s Kingdom.
Halloween
I expect most Christians are relieved that Halloween is over with and store fronts will be going back to normal now. You may wonder why I would bring it up at all.
I didn’t grow up a Christian. Dressing up and trick or treating each year was the norm. There was a Christian family in our local area who made their stance against trick or treating very clear. In my childish mind, they seemed unkind and stingy.
I’ve never wanted to come across this way to the children that knock on our door at Halloween. So, I have tried to find a way to share something of both God’s generosity and his gospel.
I appreciate everyone will have their own experiences from the past and their own convictions on how to approach Halloween. This is just an idea I’d like to share, in case it is helpful to anyone else.
For the last number of years, I have put together small bags with a Halloween themed Christian tract, some pencils and some sweets. The tracts are easy to pick up from online Christian book shops.
Some years we have carved pumpkins too. We didn’t turn them into green eyed monsters though!
