The Jealousy of Joy

What happens when people who normally are as good as they can be get hurt by the hurts of life? They work hard, they show up, and they do everything they can do to make it in life, yet somehow never receive the validation, support, honor, respect, and encouragement they need to thrive. Life seems competitive, it is in our nature to desire to win because it is about the survival of the fittest. Unfortunately, in our quest to make it by, we often forget the tenets of team building. Team building produces gamesmanship, industry, patience, and support for all.   No one person within a team makes it to the top without the help of others. This is a general principle that is sound and should form part of our foundation and how we do life. The difficulty is that teamwork is hard to achieve because it is about establishing relationships. Establishing relationships requires trust, commitment, accountability, and encouragement.  In the absence of such qualities, teams are sometimes filled with fear, conflict, and jealousy.

The issue of jealousy is a part of our human condition. No human being is devoid of experiencing this emotion. Saint or sinner, we have all fallen short of our duty to be supportive of one another. Let us look at the prophet Jonah in the Old Testament. He was a career prophet whose mission was to travel to Nineveh to preach repentance. Abba Father called him and gave him a detailed plan as to how he should proceed. Yet Jonah veered off the mission when God expressed His desire to save Nineveh. Jonah was not prepared to be a team player, so he ran away and encountered his whale in the depths of the sea. Jonah had to be in darkness for three days before he came to his senses. After having been saved from the belly of a fish, Jonah had a newfound desire to complete his mission. It turns out a nation was indeed saved because Jonah played his part in helping to bring redemption.

We all must play our part in helping one another. Team support engenders joy which is a fruit of the spirit. Joy is an elixir for the bitter moments of our lives. If we allow ourselves to remain bitter, it can lead to jealousy which can be destructive. Abba Father did not compete with His Son when he said “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased” and He allowed His Son to shine in His purpose. Therefore, we ought to allow others to shine in their purpose. Celebrate them as they grow and develop, and as you do this, you will find that you are also growing and developing as well.

Equally, we must ask ourselves what are some of the reasons we find it difficult to celebrate others. Is it coming from a healthy place? Or do we have good reasons to withhold our support? Whatever the answer we are called to do a daily introspection. Jealousy is a seed of witchcraft, and if we are not careful, it affects the safety and quality of our lives. King Saul, through his jealousy of David who was not yet King, levied several attacks against David’s life. King Saul even tried to kill his son Jonathan over it. Can’t you see how dangerous jealousy is? From jealousy comes gossip which means cursing others and eventually can be fatal because the wages of sin is death. If you are aware that you struggle with jealousy, then repentance is a key step in receiving healing.