When I volunteered with a group that worked with street kids, we used to have an exercise where we would take a negative behaviour and find a way to find the positive in it.
In Sharon A. Hersh's book "Brave Hearts", she has some interesting and enlightening thougths on jealousy.
"Jealousy grows out of a longing to be considered, remembered, included. Jealousy is cultivated by a desire for permanence, security and abiding relationships. Jealousy is vulnerable to loss, winces at betrayal, and hates unfaithfulness. The roots of jealousy reveal the holy longing for relationships that God has written in our hearts.
Admit to being jealous? No way!
God, on the other hand, not only admits to being jealous, he goes so far as to say "(My) name is jealous." God so longs for faithful, intimate, abiding relationships with us that he is not ashamed to express his fear of losing us, his desire for unending relationships, and his hurt from and hatred of unfaithfulness. God embraces his holy jealousy to assure us of his love, to remind us to remain faithful, and to encourage us that he will never leave us or forsake us. God risks being passed over in favour of others and being humiliated by betrayal."
5 comments:
Wow, this is a total new way to think about jealousy. I love it. Thank you, Steph!
idelette
Wow, this is a total new way to think about jealousy. I love it. Thank you, Steph!
idelette
Our God can be...
angry
jealous
vengeful
wrathful
destructive
as well as
merciful
gentle
kind
loving
but he is always just and righetous
Good descriptions. He also has it all in a perfect balance of qualities.
Oh wow! I've never thought of this! Thanks for opening this up for me!
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