You’ve read your Scripture. You’ve been focusing on your own work. Things have been going well. You think you have this whole jealousy thing under control and then?
You see it. The post on social media about that one project you really hoped you would be part of – going to someone else.
And not just anyone. Her. The one in your circle who seems to get it all.
Or maybe you find out that she got the job you really wanted, or you get just one more unexpected rejection and you realize?
You haven’t quite gotten rid of that jealousy issue after all.
Sometimes the places in our hearts that need the most healing are left vulnerable. What you could have handled before now sets off a chain reaction of emotions and doubts that can feel, at times, debilitating.
I get it. I can only get it because I’ve been there. Feeling like so much progress has been made and when I get comfortable – whack. Something happens and I stumble like a little kid with untied shoelaces.
Guarding our hearts and minds isn’t just a good idea – when it comes to the areas that we struggle in, where we know we’ll be tempted to stumble, it’s essential. And yeah, it’s going to take a lot of work. And it’s going to take a lot of self-awareness. I could tell you what my triggers are – how I have to be very careful at certain times of the year, when big events are happening. How I have to watch who I follow on social media, doing so with extreme intention and care to make sure I’m building a life-giving community – not one based on popularity. I could tell you that I know I need to set solid boundaries for my time and my abilities so that I can live a life worth writing about, not one that will burn me out.
Knowing what causes me to trip and fall all over myself helps me to know where to ask God for the most help. Help that I need, nearly every day.
Questions:
- What are some areas that trigger jealousy for you?
- How can you ask God to help you with those?
- What are some practical steps you can take today to help choose joy instead of jealousy?
I’m so glad for this today!
Yesterday, I didn’t dealt with major hurt of literally being uninvited.
Today I see that it was a jealousy trigger. I’m still working on that.
I appreciate what you say about guarding your heart and being mindful of who you follow on Social Media. This is especially true with Instagram.
I can ask God to help me by remember that there are other friends that value me as much as I value them; and the friends that I’ve run after…I may have to “run after” forever because the love (or like) isn’t mutual. Some of those run after friendships were from the root of people pleasing. I just can’t do that anymore.