Monday 4 July, 2016

Simon has been used to being revered because of the appearance of holiness that his tricks gave. Now here is something much better, but it’s someone else doing this one. He’s jealous. He wants this one too, and he’s willing to pay for it.

Jealousy is such a nasty, sneaky, divisive, destructive thing.

It can so easily arouse thoughts like “Wouldn’t it be nice to able to do that too” or “Wouldn’t it be nice to be seen as a spiritual person” or “I should be the one doing that. I could do it better. That bit’s not very good at all.”

That sort of jealous thinking is wrong on so many levels. Jealousy leads to trying to take and possess what God gives freely. Jealousy leads to being critical and judgemental. Jealousy leads to pride.

Maybe God will use me … once I’ve got my focus fully on Him … once my passion is to hear Him and to know Him … once my heart is for all to be touched by Him and to be transformed by it … once I love to encourage more than to be encouraged, to build up others more than to be built up … once I’m not the focus. Or maybe God has another role for me and I should just enjoy the blessing I’m receiving.

Father, I give you my heart. My desire is for my heart to be aligned with yours. Protect me from the jealousy that would rob me of that.

Written by David Cornell