Green Eyed Monster

1 Cor. 13:4
Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud,

Love gives. Fear Takes Patience and Kindness are how we demonstrate love toward others. Love seeks the highest and the best for others. Envy, Jealousy, and prideful boasting are ways we seek to take from others. While patience and kindness require inner strength (love), envy and pride are signs of weakness. They reveal that we are empty or hollow and lack resources. From this dark inner place we seek to hurt others or use them to make ourselves feel better. It is actually a warped attempt to take love But envy and pride only isolate us more leaving us more alone and experiencing even less love.

Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV) 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
JesusHD is about seeing with perfect clarity. When you look at the world around you, what you see is largely determined by who you are. If you fail to see beauty, wonder-even greatness in others, it is likely you don’t see it in yourself either. You end up developing what some have called a green eyed monster. In the past, green has been associated with sickness or illness. In fact, some illnesses left unchecked will turn your skin green. Thus the term, green with envy.

Two Symptoms of Green Eye:
Jealousy: I want what you have and I feel sad I don’t have like you have. When you look at other’s success, possessions, relationships are you happy for them or sad for yourself?

Envy: I don’t want you to have what you have; I want you to lose it. When you see what other’s have, do you sometimes dislike them for it and wish they did not have it? Do you ever feel bad because of someone else’s good?

Getting Rid of Green Eye: Gratitude, Contentment

Colossians 3:15 (NASB77) 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV) 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Two More Symptoms of Green Eye:
Boastful: I talk about me. I want you to see me and tell me how worthy I am. It’s about me. There is always a large sucking sound coming toward me. In conversations, do you spend more time talking about yourself or asking questions about others?
Proud: I’m insecure. I think I’m better, smarter. I am at the center of my world. Read the story of Jesus washing disciple’s feet: What do you see about Jesus? What does Jesus Know?
John 13:3-5 (NIV) 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

How important is it to know what you have, where you come from, and where you are going are all about God?

How do I overcome these green eyed monsters?

Philippians 2:3-11 (NIV) 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When you look at others, what do you see? Do you see others who are better than you? How does it make you feel whan you see someone better than you? Do you think that you are a servant? Do you see other’s needs or just your own? Jesus said that personal greatness is achieved by being the servant of as many as possible. Do you believe this?

Until I learn to be content with what I have and live in gratitude toward God and others I will experience the darkness of envy and jealousy. In humility, I receive grace(inner strength) to celebrate greatness in others. Until I experience the significance of being loved, gifted and used by God I will look at others and feel insignificant.

Getting Clarity about Jesus:

1. Be secure in who God made you to be.
2. Be thankful or grateful for what God has given you.
3. Be excited about better for others.