Jealousy leads to insanity

I was listening to James McDonald preach and he said jealousy leads to insanity. The Pharisees were so jealous of Jesus' popularity that they deemed it a good thing to kill him.  Now, I bet you are sitting there thinking how could they think of doing such a thing and worse yet, execute the heinous plan of evil?  I daresay look at the mirror and see for yourself the awful truth.  Would you not say dear one that you have been just as insane in jealousy?  Would you not say that you have been driven by it to do acts that were awful and downright ungodly?

You may never tell a soul but as my little six year old niece pointed out to her cousin in an argument "Gods see you, you know!"  Yes.  Yes He sees you and He sees me.  So I will not sit here and try to pretend as if I am better or worse than the Pharisees. I have been battling through jealousy and her sister envy quite recently.  I have felt like I wanted a bigger piece of the pie.  I have wanted the praise. I have wanted the glory.  I am ashamed to say it but I do so only to expose the darkness in me and I daresay you as well. 

Friends, in continuing the message from Pastor McDonald, I realized that my problem is love. I don't love others as I should.  If I loved God then I would love others. Isn't that what we have been commanded to do in the gospel of John?  John 14: 15 says that if we love Jesus we will keep His Word.  So what was His word?  John 13:34 makes it real simple for people like me. It says,

New International Version
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

If I loved others as Jesus said then I would not be jealous or envious of their success. I would not in my mind grumble about the blessings they have been experiencing, especially when I have not half of what they have been doing.  Lord, Lord Help me to overcome this insane jealousy in my life in Jesus name, Amen.