Qua-nah

Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?

Proverbs 27:4 

 

It's seductive.  The way you look at someone else's life and secretly wish it was your life or you secretly wish their life would suddenly take a nosedive.  The daydreams of being able to see their wonderful life with you in the scene instead of them.  The desire that grows to HAVE that life or their things...like most seductions, it starts out small.  A passing thought. A sight. And it builds into full blown jealousy.

 

The Jewish word for Jealousy is Qua-nah which means "to be intensely red."  Have you seen someone who was so jealous that they were actually red-faced angry?  I have.  It's not pretty.  And people don't tend to enjoy being around such people, which feeds into the intensity of the jealousy.

 

Did you know that God will withhold what we desire in order to give us what we need?  This is why I am not a follower of the "Name It And Claim It" crowd.  God will withhold that new house in order to give you the ability to provide for your family.  Yet we look at the THINGS other people have and we become fixated on that and want it to the point of craving.  Guess what?  Jealousy is actually our being angry with God for not giving us the things we want. Sound like the actions of a spoiled child? Yep!

 

But here's the best remedy for jealousy....focus on the love that God has for you in providing what you NEED!  Love drives our jealousy!  God's love destroys jealousy!