Love Dare Day #8

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. James 3:16

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. James 4:1-2

Do you have jealousy or envy in your heart? Do you tend to want what others have or be unhappy for them when they are blessed with success or fortune? Or have self-pity? You are not alone. In fact this has been a major issue since the beginning of time. In the book The Love Dare, Stephen and Alex Kendrick state the following:

There is a string of violent jealousy seen throughout scripture.
It caused the first murder when Cain despised God's acceptance
of his brother's offering. Sarah sent away her hand maiden because
Hagar could bear children while Sarah could not. Joseph's brothers
saw he was their father's favorite, so they threw him in a pit and sold
him as a slave. Jesus was more loving, powerful, and popular than the
chief priests, so they envied Him and plotted His betrayal and crucifixion.

Now you may say that of all things you have definitely not killed anyone! But may I suggest that James 4 may not only be speaking of physical death. Many times jealousy and envy are the death of dreams, friendships, partnerships, and, yes, marriages. This stronghold comes from a heart of discontentment. We must pray and ask God for contentment in what He has so graciously given us. Contentment in the life we have NOW, not the one we once had, or the one we long for. Contentment with our status, with our job/position, with our home, with our car, with our spouse, with our spirituality.

In addition to refraining from negativity, commit this day to purposefully be thankful with what God has given you and where He has you right now. Pray throughout the day asking God to reveal to you areas of discontentment and jealousy or envy in your life. Pray for contentment and self-control.

In an effort to take your eyes off the negative, burn your list of negatives from yesterday. Perhaps you need to add jealousy, envy, or discontentment to your list first. Do this as a farewell ceremony. An end to this season in your personal spiritual life and a new beginning. A new beginning filled with positive thoughts, actions, and words. A new beginning filled with God-Every second of everyday all the time. A time to place Him in His rightful place in your life, First place.

If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. Job 36:11