lets talk: jealousy

Omg hey. Why is it so hard to find time to write??? Nevertheless, I’m here and I’m going to talk a little bit about a topic that was requested! How cool that someone actually wanted me to talk about something in particular?! That means so much to me :,) We’re going to be talking about everyone’s favorite- jealousy. Whether that be in the high school setting, college, or just life.

First, I’ll start off with my experience with this wonderful little feeling. The first instance of jealousy I can remember was in middle school. I truly believed everyone in my town had Victoria’s Secret “Pink” hoodies except for me. I was never allowed to get one. Everyone looked so cool and I felt so left out. I felt like I was still a baby and everyone else was mature as can be. As I’ve gotten a little older, I have never really been one to be extremely jealous of other girls. However, within romantic relationships, jealousy has consumed me. The feeling would make me angry or just leave me heartbroken, usually both lol. Feeling like I wasn’t being chosen by a boy felt like the end of the world to me. My ego was being shattered by teenage boys… I am able to look back at it now and talk about it because of how much I’ve learned and grown, but I still remember the feeling so vividly! & obviously I have felt moments of jealousy since then, but my perspective of it has completely changed. I will never again allow that feeling to consume me.

If I start to feel jealous, I know how to make my thoughts abide to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Jealousy creates thoughts in our minds that stray so far from the knowledge and wisdom of God. It is a way for the enemy to trick us. Maybe he wants us to feel unworthy or wants us to take revenge… Things like that is what jealousy can do to us. Your thoughts are just thoughts, not all of them are valuable. It is important to determine which come from God and which do not. The Holy Spirit that is at work within you can help you decipher, if you ask. Now, one thing I know for sure is that jealousy (commonly referred to as envy in the Bible) does not come from God. It does absolutely nothing good for the soul. A life full of jealousy will rip us apart and cause us to rip others apart. Proverbs 14:30 says “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” A major point about jealousy I want to make is this. 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love does not envy.” We were all made to love and to be loved. Love the Father. Love you. Love others. Even if you don’t think it does, jealousy makes it impossible to truly love. Read the verse again, LOVE DOES NOT ENVY. So if it is reaalllyyyyy God given love, in any sort of relationship not just romantic, there is no sense of jealousy. (Because there is loyalty, trust, commitment, REAL love!) (You should go read the rest of 1 Corinthians 13) I’m just going to give y’all a few ways God has changed my heart and perspective, which has helped me become so much less of a jealous person.

I think the biggest realization I have made is that what God has meant for me will be for me. All you have to do is trust in God’s plan. Let’s just say there is a boy you really like. Let’s say y’all hung out once or twice, but he has been quiet since and then you see him with another girl. NOW before your heart drops and eyes fill up with sadness and jealousy, remember what I just said. What God has meant for you will be FOR YOU. You have absolutely no control over what that boy did and the hurt he caused. What you do have control over is how you react. Don't let the jealousy consume you, turn your mind to Christ. If this boy was meant for you, he wouldn’t have done that. Therefore, he wasn’t meant for you sis!! Sometimes, God breaks our hearts to save our souls. God hears things we don’t hear and sees things we don't see. Trust that he knows best.

More regarding jealousy with other girls. I just want to say you are so beautiful and are exactly who you are meant to be. Every freckle, every strand of hair, every wrinkle was made by God with love. He didn’t make you to be her. He made you to be you. He made her to be her. You have been fearfully and wonderfully made by God. (Psalms 139:14) You can not compare two beautiful things. That is like comparing a sunset and field of flowers. They are both beautiful in different ways. It makes no sense to compare them. The same goes for you and her.

I think it is so important to express gratitude and count your blessings if you are feeling jealous. We get so caught up in what we don’t have we forget all about the wonderful things God has blessed us with in our lives.

The biggest way I’ve overcome my jealous tendencies is by getting into God’s word and actually believing what He says. Just reading this blog post may not do anything for you, but if you actually apply scripture to your life and believe it, it will change your heart- just like it changed mine. The Holy Spirit lives within us and bears all good fruit, we have no time for jealousy or any of the other fruits of the flesh. What is meant for you will be. You have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of our Heavenly Father. He has your whole life laid out in His powerful hands! Be at peace with that.

VERSES:

MIND: 2 Corinthians 10:5

ENVY: Proverbs 14:30

LOVE: 1 Corinthians 13:4

BEAUTY: Psalms 139:14