Jealousy: Satan’s Snare
I was just thinking about a conference I spoke at several years ago in Knoxville, Tenn. During my lecture, I addressed the subject of jealousy and envy among Christians. Afterward, pastors and teachers told me, “Pastor, you are to be commended for speaking out on a subject many want to sweep under the rug.” Sadly, a trap has been laid by Satan for those who are in the limelight of Christian service. This is not only for them but also for every believer whose testimony is scrutinized by both believers and unbelievers.
Why are we jealous?
We know that jealousy, envy and strife are not good qualities in the lives of believers. However, as long as we live in these earth suits, we will continually battle these very characteristics. Additionally, these enemies are not easily detected. Temptations like tattling, cursing, gossiping and criticizing are enemies we easily recognize and know we should battle, but jealousy and envy are not stand-up-and-fight enemies. They are snares, hidden snares, Satan loves to put in our paths so he can catch us unaware and hinder our effectiveness for the Lord.
In our churches, these snares are in the paths of every minister, including Sunday School teachers, deacons, worship leaders and pastors. The strange thing about falling into these snares, which are like deep pits, is that no one ever thinks they are in too deep. Most scoff at the insinuation that they are jealous of others. The rope gets tighter in the snare of jealousy. The pits get deeper!
The apostle Paul had many reasons to be arrogant. He even testified about his ancestry, education and political and religious activities. Yet it seems that Paul had won his battle over pride. Like our Lord, the apostle not only practiced what he preached; he preached what he practiced — humility. He found contentment in whatever ministry the Lord gave him. “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim. 6:6 NIV1984). He said, “…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Phil. 4:12).
Humility and Contentment Battle Jealousy
Years ago, I was teaching about spiritual gifts. During one of the classes, one of the men spoke up and said, “I’m not sure what my spiritual gift is, but it may be humility. I am very proud of my humility.” All I could do was look at the man and smile.
The truth is that a believer can be humble and know it, but he falls into Satan’s snare when pride steps in regarding it. It is my opinion that one of the biggest reasons for jealousy among believers, including pastors, is a lack of either humility or contentment or both.
Steps to Effectively Defeat Jealousy
Remember who has called you into His service. Recall with enthusiasm when you first began to serve the Lord in your church. Ask yourself, “Does God make mistakes?”
Search the Scriptures for examples of those who dealt with jealousy. Reevaluate your own spiritual gifts. Ask yourself, “Does God make mistakes?”
Evaluate your place of service in the kingdom and whether or not you are the right person for the ministry you have. Ask if the person you envy most is right for their place of service. Ask yourself, “Does God make mistakes?”
Regard it as an honor to serve the Lord where He has placed you. Pastor, do not be jealous of another pastor’s position. Singer, do not be jealous of another singer’s ability. Teacher, do not be jealous of another teacher’s gift. God does not make mistakes!
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Dr. Tom Mitchell
Dr. Tom Mitchell pens a column titled, Just Thinking, in which he addresses many topics relative to the Baptist Missionary Association. His Trailblazers series provides biographies of many BMA trailblazers from the past.
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