The Subtle Killer of Jealousy!
- Heather Edmund
- Feb 27, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 9
Jealousy is an emotion that often lurks beneath the surface, waiting to be triggered by a specific event or circumstance. Jealousy may not be immediately apparent, as it lies dormant within an individual until a situation causes it to surface.
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Dormant jealousy is jealousy you did not know you had until you see somebody else have something you want.
The subtle killer, it does not operate alone—it recruits others!
Jealously enlists others to support it in discrediting a person, causing others to become suspicious and doubtful about that individual.
One thing you will notice, it never operates alone because it understands the power of oneness, unity, and working together.
It uses defamation when it attacks its victim. This behavior is frequently observed on social media, where a single comment from a person can tarnish someone's reputation.
It is clever in how it lures us into believing what it's saying, causing us to trust its lies. It is incredibly good at what is does and why it is called the subtle killer.
It's about employing smart and subtle tactics to accomplish a goal, resulting in dishonor and disgrace for you or someone else.
It loves unity
Jealous individuals may unite and set aside their animosity towards each other in order to achieve a common objective, which can impede you or someone else; and if jealousy is not confronted, eliminated, or eradicated promptly and thoroughly, it may invite feelings of envy.
This is where things take a dangerous turn. With envy you desire to cause pain and malice towards a person. You want to stop them from accomplishing their goals, and you want to overshadow them.
Jealousy is when you think, "why not me", whereas envy is when you think, "I do not want it to be you."
This was the situation where a woman was wrongly accused by a jealous individual who succeeded in convincing others to believe the falsehoods she spread.
In this ministry, there was a woman envious of another lady because of her beauty. The attractive woman had many admirers, which made the other woman jealous.
One day, the envious woman saw the beautiful woman talking with another church member and used that interaction as a chance to fabricate a lie about her. She informed certain key members of the church that she witnessed the lady pursuing a married man.
This resulted in the woman facing months of suspicion until someone, believing her to be guilty, eventually confronted her.
When questioned, or more precisely, accused by the person who confronted her, the accuser even asserted having seen the woman committing the alleged act. This situation brings in another factor: the spirit of lying. The accuser was so convinced of what she had been told that she resorted to lying herself, claiming she had witnessed the incident firsthand.
However, it was subsequently discovered that the allegations were false, as the original accuser was envious of her.
Accusing someone aligns your behavior with that of Satan
According to the Scriptures,
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” —Revelation 12:10
If jealousy is not managed, it evolves into envy, which can pose a threat. When someone is jealous of you and does not address this feeling internally, you become their focus. They might start disseminating rumors and lies to damage your reputation and beyond. Through their words, they essentially become a murderer by tarnishing your character.
Satan's primary objective in our lives is to kill, steal, and destroy, and he achieves this by manipulating others to act against us or by using us as tools against others (John 10:10).
It's as old as time itself
In the story of David and Saul, Saul's envy of David resulted in numerous attempts to take David's life. Although Saul wanted David in his inner circle because of his talents and fighting ability, he grew envious of the acclaim and admiration David garnered. This overwhelming jealousy pushed Saul to attempt to kill David multiple times (1 Samuel 16-31). Saul's unresolved jealousy transformed him into an attempted murderer.
In Genesis 37:20, we learn that Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him due to their jealousy over their father's preference for Joseph and his dreams. They said, "Come now, let us kill him..." This statement reveals the intense jealousy and hostility Joseph's brothers felt towards him. Their father's favoritism towards Joseph increased their resentment.
This story is like the story of Cain and Abel, where envy led to the murder of a brother. Jealousy also contributed to the rejection and eventual crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who was envied and ultimately despised by those He intended to save.
These stories illustrate the harmful effects of jealousy and how it can drive people to commit murder. This is why believers are urged to guard their hearts due to the influence it can have on a person's actions (Proverbs 4:23).
Jealousy is a crab in the bucket mentality, when other people see you advancing in life—they get jealous.
Just like crabs, if everyone is in one place or level in life [bucket], and someone out the group wants to climb out of the bucket [succeed], the other crabs [people], pull it back into the bucket. This is why it is important to surround yourself around the right people. An excerpt from Its OK to Be Single: Chapter 4—Relationship Ready
The Scriptures asked the question, "who can stand before jealousy," meaning who can withstand jealousy. Therefore, if you feel it, you must address the underlying cause to eliminate it, as it will ultimately overpower you.
Root of jealousy
Jealousy may arise from insecurity, frequently appearing as a lack of confidence, self-doubt, or fear. These feelings can originate from childhood, trauma, past experiences, failure, or rejection.
Being insecure can harm your self-confidence and drive a wedge between you and your loved ones. If you let insecurity affect your relationship, you might end up sabotaging someone's future.
"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice"
—James 3:13
We ought to unite
The issue with jealousy is that there will always be someone who surpasses us in some way.
Competition is among the most detrimental things that can occur. It goes against God's desire for unity, and if we are preoccupied with competing against one another, we end up being at odds with each other.
Without unity, there is no strength. If we don't value each other's strengths and know how to utilize them effectively, we become ineffective. We will end up as individuals merely going in circles.
Angelic beings have designated responsibilities. Each angel is individually crafted by God to carry out a specific task that no other angel is intended to undertake. There is no jealousy among angels, as they understand that each one is created to achieve a particular purpose that complements the duties of other angels.
Jealousy can make us look foolish
Jealousy can lead you to be manipulated by the enemy, causing you to create issues rather than supporting something beneficial, which in turn damages what you should be enhancing and benefiting from.
What are signs?
Jealousy can manifest in various ways, such as feeling upset about how others perceive someone else. If you experience anger when others prefer someone over you, or if you get annoyed when someone else receives attention, frequently lose friends, or display demanding behavior, these are indicators of jealousy.
If your sense of security comes from oppressing others, then you are driven by jealousy.
Jealousy may lie dormant until you see someone having something you want, like achievements, wealth, approval, attractiveness, fame, opportunities, talents, expertise, intelligence, or relationships.
Jealousy takes over your thoughts, destroys relationships, and can lead to murder. It harms connections and creates distrust.
This negative emotion stems from insecurity or pride.
God aims to build internal foundations for outward success; therefore, use the Scriptures to identify areas of jealousy in your life. Find and identify the insecurities and address them at once; do not overlook them, as they are subtle killers!
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A call for salvation
When you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, His spirit will become one with yours. This is one of the greatest blessings of salvation. You don't have to go through someone else to get to God, as you and Him are now one.
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Here's a Prayer that you can pray to get saved:
Jesus, I confess that you are Lord, and I believe in my heart that you died and were risen for my sins. I ask for forgiveness of my sins, and I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior—in Jesus' name, Amen.
After this step, pray for guidance to find a ministry where you can grow spiritually, gain knowledge about the kingdom, and begin living the abundant life promised by Jesus.
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