Jealousy and envy is an interesting thing. It has many faces, just like fear does. Sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint when it is coming against you. It has a way of trying to get in your head, it attacks your identity by causing self doubt, undermines who you are, seeks to discourage you to give up, and has this invisible vibe that tries to “push you out” and make you feel unwelcome or less than. It seeks to make you feel how it is feeling… rejected, dejected and worthless. It has a murderous agenda behind it and wants to kill you off. Just like Cain did to Abel, Joseph’s brothers did to him and the Pharisees did to Jesus. Some don’t realise how demonic jealousy and envy is.
It struggles to give honour where honour is due, and operates in flattery to hide its face. Rivalry and competition are its offspring, and it will purposely seek to exclude you. Many children who are on the end of bullying are really victims to jealousy. Sadly this evil doesn’t end at childhood or adolescence, unfortunately it is rife in the adult world and sadly more often than not in the body of Christ.
But the truth is it never ends well for those who yield to this evil. They find themselves displaced, always wondering around in the wilderness never arriving to their full potential. Bitterness has taken root and instead of cultivating their portion with the Lord they come into covenant with frustration, judgement, and criticism.
James 3: 14-17 speaks about “bitter” envy and jealousy being wisdom (the way) of the demonic. This passage of scripture also reveals the fruit that this evil produces and it is confusion, unrest, disharmony, rivalry and rebellion. Rebellion is as witchcraft the bible says, so we can see here that jealousy carries a demonic agenda and assault.
“But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth. This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal). For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).”
The second part of this passage of scripture in James speaks of those who move in the opposite spirit, being the wisdom from above, having fruits of peace, consideration, compassion and good fruit, not to mention, being “straightforward” free from all insincerity. In other words free from flattery.
See a jealous person is an untrustworthy person. They will turn on you and betray you as quick as something good happens in your life. As long as they are feeling ok all is well, but as soon as WHO YOU ARE impacts the cracks in their self worth your relationship is unsafe.
It can simply be being who you are that attracts jealousy. You may not have riches, or all these wonderful talents etc, but you may just be a pure sincere person. I have found over the years, purity of heart attracts jealousy like nothing else. It threatens the facade of fake confidence. That’s what Jesus did to the Pharisees. It was his purity that exposed their evil hearts.
Instead of seeking fulfilment and contentment in having someone else’s portion, pursue the authenticity of your own. Allow the Lord to unearth the roots of those insecurities and rejections where jealousy may have found it’s place. Let Him heal your heart as only He can.
Forgive where you need to forgive so that root of bitterness can be dislodged once and for all and your heart can return to peace and clarity of viewing yourself and others through Gods eyes.
Renounce the need to compete, to be “better” than someone else or more important or whatever “more” that spirit of competition and rivalry drives one to be in order for self-worth and value to be validated. This is earthly wisdom and will create a vacuum of chaos and anxiety.
Step into peace, yield to the wisdom from above, that says, you are loved, you are more than enough, you were worth the cross, and your blueprint is solely yours! No one else can be or do your blueprint, your scroll, your destiny. Only you. Someone else’s promotion, talent, looks, success, relationship with God, money, material possessions, revelations, assignments from God, calling etc is not going to bring you joy or peace. You get that from being who you are in God.
It’s like the joy after the travail in childbirth. Those who travail get to reap a joy only the travail can bring. So it is when we labour in travail bringing forth our destiny through pursuit of God and His ways.
Labour in travail for your portion with Him and let your joy be full. Im not saying strive , I’m saying in other words work out your own salvation, and step into your destiny. Your salvation is worked out, through your obedience to Gods word and instructions. Don’t look around you at other peoples races, really in all honesty it’s completely inferior to yours.
Getting given someone else’s portion doesn’t bring you joy, you think it will but it doesn’t. You aren’t equipped to pay their price to receive what they have received and they are not equipped to pay yours.
I get this question asked to me EVERYWHERE I go and travel to do ministry. People will come to me and want me to pray for a full impartation of what I carry”, my reply to them is this. “No sorry I can’t do that to you.” They look at me confused. I continue, “ you see it will kill you, it will damage you, you haven’t been prepared and paid the same price I’ve had to pay to carry what I carry. And let me let you in on a secret, YOU DON’T WANT TO!”
I have a beautiful friend in ministry here on the Gold Coast. She is a pastor of a successful church and we are just dear friends. We often laugh at each other and say “gosh it would kill me doing what you do”. There is no jealousy between us, she is fruitful in different ways to me in the kingdom and I stand in awe of what she carries in God. Instead of competing with each other we celebrate each other and glean from each other. It’s called humility.
If you have suffered from the wounds jealousy from others have inflicted, I pray that the Lord would heal your heart and bind up those wounds. Some people don’t realise how damaging the effects of jealousy have on people. As James says it has a demonic influence attached and therefore those who have suffered from the effects of jealousy have endured spiritual warfare. It is not a light thing and it can have psychological effects on people.
I also encourage those who have struggled with jealousy, to take your heart grievances to the Father and let him heal you, your identity, your rejections, your worth, your disappointments etc so that you can know the Love of God and be fully persuaded in who you are in His love. What that love has birthed in you now you are a new creation in Christ and hence fall in love with who He has made you to be. As Bill Johnson says, when you truly discover who you are uniquely in Him, you wouldn’t want to be anyone else.
Much love, Anita Alexander
