DAY EIGHT

Love is not Jealous

Love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like the blazing fire ~Song of Solomon8:6


Jealousy drives man stronger than just about anything. It can take over where love once was. It turns family and friends against one another. It is easy to justify  but harder to rid yourself of. There are two different forms of jealousy
legitimate and illegitimate

Legitimate jealousy, righteous jealousy, occurs when a spouse turns their love from you to another person or thing.  If a woman or a man were to have an affair, the other partner would have a justifiable jealously. The bible speaks of God's love for us being much the same. Not because he wants what we have (since he gave it all to us anyway) but because he loves us that much.  His desire for us to follow him and search for him first  comes from the love he has for us, like nothing anyone can fathom.  "the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God"(Deuteronomy4:24) Can you imagine if you gave someone everything and they turned away from you? Wouldn't that truly hurt?

Illegitimate Jealousy is when you want what another has. You may be jealous of another person's job, house, family, car or popularity. To be moved with envy, to feel hatred because someone gets what it is you want, can derail even the best of intentions.  The Bible tells us this leads also to fighting,quarreling and every evil thing (James 3:16, 4:1-2)

In marriage two become one, there for you should be each other's biggest champions. Wanting only what is best for your loved one and not being jealous of their successes can make a marriage run smoothly. Because love is not selfish it refuses to let jealousy in. When a husband receives praise , he refuses to boast and instead thanks his wife for helping to support him in his success. A loving wife will be the first to cheer for her husband when he wins.


It is time to let love, humility, and gratefulness destroy any jealousy that springs up in your heart It is time to let your spouse's success draw you closer together.

Today's Dare
Determine to become your spouse's biggest fan and to reject any thoughts of jealousy. To help you set your heart on your spouse and focus on their achievements, take yesterday's list on negative attributes and discreetly burn it. Then share with your spouse how glad you are about a success he or she recently enjoyed.