Jealousy leaves a pretty bitter aftertaste. It really doesn’t mater who you are or in what capacity you experience it, jealousy never results in positive growth.
Jealousy can be referred to as envy, and leads to frustration, anger, resentment, and bitterness. Jealousy results in all kinds of things in our lives that we would be better off without.
Jealousy is labeled as an emotion, and as such, it can rear its ugly head pretty quick. However, I’m not so sure that the term “emotion” aptly describes this. Jealousy is more of an attitude or a decision than it is an emotion, and as such, the Bible instructs us to guard against it frequently.
That can be hard. When the church down the street experiences a growth spurt, or builds a new building, it’s easy to question why it hasn’t happened here yet. When another ministry sees giving increase dramatically, we start to dream about what we could do with that money in our own roles. When good things happen to others, we wish it was us, or at least not them.
In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, we read about the life of David, who will one day become king of Israel. He’s not there yet, and has just conquered Goliath. In chapter 18, as David and the people return to their homes after defeating the Philistine army, a song is crafted:
The women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (verse 7).
As a result, King Saul burned with jealousy. In his mind, he was the king, and this upstart had no business stealing his glory. His jealousy got the best of him, and eventually, the kingdom would be taken from him and given to David.
Jealousy caused a least four negative results in Saul’s life. But these negative qualities aren’t limited to Saul. Every leader who experiences jealousy sees these four negatives as well.
Jealousy causes leaders to lose focus
King Saul suddenly lost his focus on his kingdom and his responsibilities of leadership. From this point on in his life, he was consumed with eliminating David as a rival. Because of this, he suffered. His family suffered, and he dealt roughly with his own son. And his kingdom suffered.
Jealousy causes leaders to lose respect
During the rest of Saul’s reign, he lost more and more respect. People began seeking out and finding David, and following him. Saul lost the respect of everyone around him.
Jealousy causes leaders to lose their leadership abilities
Because of Saul’s jealousy, his leadership skills suffered. He became more and more moody, and the only thought on his mind was his jealousy of David. It consumed his entire life, and his ability to lead others was severely limited.
Jealousy causes leaders to lose the organization
Eventually, Saul’s kingdom was taken from him and handed to David. Typically, the heir to the king is a descendant of his. But in Saul’s case, the kingdom left his family completely and was given to another.
Because of this, the kingdom of Israel suffered. The people suffered. Saul and his family suffered. David and his family and followers suffered. And jealousy caused it all.
The principle holds true when it comes to jealousy: When anyone loses, everyone loses.
A leader cannot allow jealousy a foothold in his life. When he does, it causes significant strife and leaves chaos and pain behind. Avoid it at all costs.
Question: What safeguards do you have in your life that guard against jealousy? How do you keep it at bay? You can leave a comment by clicking here.