Don’t be worried on account of the wicked; don’t be jealous of those who do wrong. They will soon disappear like grass that dries up; they will die like plants that wither. Trust in the LORD and do good; live in the land and be safe. Psalms 37:1-3 (GNT)
The Lord is more than enough and He satisfies all of us. There’s more than enough for all of us. No reason for any of us selfishly eye and desire to get what belongs to another.
It is the fool that is destroyed by resentment and the simple that are killed by jealousy. Job 5:2 (NLT)
The fool denies and disregards God who is the source of every good thing. Psalms 14:1
Because of that ill attitude such an individual will always be hostile towards his neighbor who possesses or enjoys certain benefits.
But when we know that God exists and that He is the rewarder of everyone and anyone who looks to Him (Hebrews 11:6), we will celebrate others, take pleasure in their prosperity knowing that the same Grace is available to us from our Heavenly Father who equally loves and is generously good to all of us.
Then there are endowments that are unique to each one of us. These include special giftings, talents, skills, personality, temperament etc. Everyone has their own as God saw fit to distribute. We don’t have to covet what another has. Whatever each one of us has is equally as important and useful as the rest.
None of us should be jealous of another because we are all members or parts of one and the same body which is the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12- 26 (NLT) 12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
The last part of our theme Scripture gives the panacea for jealousy – Trust in the LORD and do good; live in the land and be safe.