Two days of cleaning my bus have definitely impacted my body, but Father, my mind and heart are with You. Use me to communicate Your heart and mind. Amen.
Acts 16:35-40(<<click here to read the passage)
Jealousy. We’ve all experienced it – maybe you’ve been on the receiving end or maybe you’ve been the green-eyed monster.
We’re all probably familiar with that phrase which traces itself back to the writings of Shakespeare. He used it in two of his plays, “Merchant of Venice” and “Othello” whose main characters used it in their dialogues. But actually, there is historical precedent for associating green with jealousy which can be traced back to ancient Greeks. They believed that feelings of envy and jealousy were triggered by the body’s overproduction of bile, which turns the skin into a shade of green.*
Many of us would associate jealousy with children since they are a little quicker to let their emotions show, but adults, though a bit more subtle, are no less ready to let their green-eyed monster out. Too often we just don’t like it when those close to us are getting the attention we crave. And unfortunately, we can get pretty creative when it comes to drawing attention back to ourselves.
In today’s passage, it’s crazy that these “God-fearing” Jews weren’t motivated by doctrinal purity. They weren’t striving to refute anything of a theological nature at all – their sole motivation for throwing together a group of troublemakers from the marketplace and forming a mob to start a riot was jealousy – petty green-eyed jealousy. v5
Jealousy from either side – the giver or the receiver – can be destructive. Lord Jesus, help us watch where our hearts lean. May we find contentment in who we are and what we have as we see ourselves through Your eyes. Help us not to let petty mentalities hurt others and ourselves. Amen.
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;
….jealousy is like cancer in the bones. Proverbs 14:30 NLT
Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,
….but jealousy is even more dangerous. Proverbs 27:4 NLT
*3 Colors That Represent Jealousy
June 7th, 2022, Tues, 7:39 pm
