Jealous...Me?

March 3rd, 2022

Jealous…Me?
The first book of Samuel tells the historical account of Saul as he begins a downward spiral from king of Israel to a jealous, erratic, compulsive, fearful, and diminishing leader. How did this happen? There are several reasons, but the primary reason, impacting all others, was selfish jealousy toward David.

Saul was immediately jealous of the accolades David received because of successful battles. 1 Samuel 18:6-9
He felt threatened by the news from God that David was going to replace him as king. 1 Samuel 18:12
He was jealous of the close relationship his son Jonathan had with David. 1 Samuel 19:1-3

We can certainly learn lessons from Saul’s tragic life, but only if we are willing to take a look at our own. Can you identify times when you were jealous of others? Name one, or two, or more!
Why were you jealous? How did you address it? When did you have hopes of one outcome but had to adjust to another outcome less pleasing to you? How did you do this? Can you think of a time when you felt like you were losing, power, control, influence, or stability in a relationship or even a job? How did you respond to these feelings?

How can we change our perspective on these jealous moments? We can’t, but God can. Here are some truths to remember:

God loves you and he also loves that challenging person with an everlasting love. 1 John 4:7-12
When someone else is talented, loved, popular, etc., it doesn’t diminish your value. You don’t lose value as another person gains.
You will feel better about the situation if you celebrate with the other person, rather than criticize. Sometimes it is beneficial to practice humbleness. Luke 14:11

God calls us to love others like we love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). When we demonstrate God’s love, we build one another up, and support each other in a way that pleases God!

First Samuel is a long book in the Bible, but it reads like an exciting novel or action movie. It’s worth the time investment!