ODJ: jealous?
September 23, 2011
[Rachel] became jealous of her sister (v.1).
READ: Genesis 30:1-24
You know the feeling—the jolt of recognition. Could it be? You inhale. Why, that’s so-and-so from high school! She grew her hair out, and now she’s a blonde! Somehow, the Internet has made it possible for you to contact her. But, should you open that door? How would it make your wife feel? Recent studies show that one popular social website may be “fueling wild flights of jealous investigation, as users in relationships . . . scramble to find evidence of a partner’s unfaithful thoughts or behavior.”
The Bible says jealousy is even more dangerous than anger and wrath (Proverbs 27:4). It’s hazardous because it stokes our cravings for worldly things and our desires for others, rather than for God. Left unchecked, it may even take us away from Him.
Jealousy brought Rachel to a state of desperation. After she and her sister Leah married the same guy, Leah had several babies. When Rachel realized she couldn’t have kids, “she became jealous of her sister” (Genesis 30:1). Desperate for an infant of her own, she issued this ultimatum to Jacob: Give me children, or I’ll die!
Things went from bad to worse. The baby tally was three to zip with Leah in the lead, when Rachel said to Jacob, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me” (v.3). When the hired help birthed two sons, Rachel commented: “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!” (v.8)—evidence that jealousy breeds competition.
We can guard against jealousy. Fortunately, we don’t have to squelch our strong desires; we just have to redirect them toward God. When we can say to Him, “I desire You more than anything on earth” (Psalm 73:25), jealousy will not rule our relationships. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
How might jealousy ruin relationships? How does knowing that “love is not jealous” change your thinking about the people in your life?
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