The Monster In Your Heart
When I was little, I was scared of monsters. I was sure there were some in my closet and under my bed. They only existed, of course, when it was dark. Before bed, I would take special care to make sure my closet doors were fully closed and no part of me could hang over the side of the bed. I was sure the covers protected me.
Being older now, I know monsters in my closet and under my bed aren’t real, but there is another “monster” that exists that I should have a healthy fear of and keep my guard up for, but often times I don’t. It is what is known as the “Green Eyed Monster”. Jealousy and envy. This monster might seem harmless at first, starting out with just wishing you had what someone else had – the house, the job, the car, the talents, the body, the friends, and on and on.
The Bible, though, clearly warns of the dangers of this monster. Proverbs 3:14 tells us envy makes the bones rot. James 3:14-15 tells us envy is opposed to the meekness of wisdom, envy and wisdom cannot dwell together in the same heart. If you have envy and self-seeking in your heart, it isn’t from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. James 3:16 lays it out clearly “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”
Rotting bones. Unspiritual. Demonic. Confusion and every evil thing. This is a powerful monster.
How do we combat it?
We stay under the cover of Christ and His Word and start by confessing you have let the sin of envy come in. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In James 5:16, we are told “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Confessing to another believer can lessen the hold and power that sin has over you and allows them to join with you in prayer, which can be so powerful.
We make sure to not allow any room for falling into the comparison trap. In John 21:21b,22b, Peter asks “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus responds “…what is that to you? You follow me.” Instead, purposefully live in a mindset of gratitude. As miracles and blessing happen in your life, write them down, put them in a blessing jar to pull and read when you feel jealousy and envy start creeping in.
We lean on the Lord and trust in Him. Envy can stem from not trusting and having confidence in God. We believe we deserve something someone else is getting. We forget that God is faithful always. Psalm 37:3-4 tells us to “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” In my life, I have found that when I focus on the Lord, trusting in Him, delighting in Him, and not focusing on others, the desires in my heart change. They become Him focused, eternally focused instead of me focused and earthly focused. He changes my desires.
We be still and rest in the Lord. Psalm 37:7 instructs us to “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” We wait patiently for God’s timing, not ours. His timing is always right and always perfect. His plan and His way is always best.
Rachel Guest
#EverythingUnderTheSon
