“Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 AMP
As we look at jealousy, think about three people: Cain, Peninnah, and Leah.
Jealousy of Cain
Cain was jealous of his brother because Abel’s offering was accepted by God and his own was not (Genesis 4:3–5, NKJV). Somewhere on the inside of him, he believed he should have been the one accepted. Maybe there was already some sibling rivalry there. Maybe Abel was the model child, the one who always seemed to get it right. So when God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected his, it felt like the final straw. Instead of dealing with the jealousy in his heart, Cain allowed it to grow into resentment, and resentment turned into murder (Genesis 4:8, NKJV).
Jealousy of Peninah
Then think about Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not (1 Samuel 1:2, NKJV). But Hannah had something Peninnah lacked, the love of her husband. Hannah was loved deeply, even without children (1 Samuel 1:5, NKJV). Peninnah could not understand this. She was producing what was expected, yet her co-wife got double of everything. Her jealousy showed up in cruelty. Scripture says she provoked Hannah constantly because of her barrenness (1 Samuel 1:6, NKJV).
Rachel and Leah
Now look at Leah and Rachel. Leah knew she was not the woman Jacob loved. Rachel was the one he worked fourteen years for (Genesis 29:20, NKJV). Leah lived with the pain of being unloved, and it affected her deeply. She longed for affection, hoping that bearing children would finally secure Jacob’s love (Genesis 29:31–32, NKJV). P.S. That never works
But interestingly, Rachel, who had the love, the beauty, and the devotion of her husband, was also jealous of Leah because Leah was fruitful (Genesis 30:1, NKJV). That jealousy drove her to compete and manipulate, even using her maid to have children.
Do you see a pattern?
In all these scenarios, they felt they deserved what the other had, and therefore, they were resentful. This goes without saying, but jealousy comes from fear. Fear that I will not get my turn. Fear that what they have somehow reduces what is available to me. Love casts out fear, and love believes that what God has for someone else does not cancel what He has for me. Love is not Jealous. How can it be jealous? Love wants you to thrive, and it doesn’t care what it has to give up to see you succeed.
Jealousy is a poison that should not be entertained in the soul. And sometimes we feel helpless because we don’t want to feel it, yet it’s there. The mistake is hiding it from God. When jealousy is hidden, it festers.
Tell God about it
Take it back to God. Tell Him the truth. Lord, I am jealous. Help me. And as you do, God begins to heal your heart. He replaces fear with trust and resentment with love. He reminds you that He does not withhold good from His children (Psalm 84:11, NKJV).
If you feel jealousy today, go back to God with it. Ask Him to cleanse your heart and teach you to love rightly, in Jesus’ name.
