The Green-eyed Monster

Genesis 4:4b-5,  "The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.  So Cain was very angry and his face was downcast."

     My little chihuahua, Honey, loves to jump up into my lap and nestle.  She considers that her territory.  My pomeranian, Missy, has a fat body and short legs and cannot jump that far.  But sometimes I pick her up and put her in my lap to pet her.  When I do, Honey goes into a frenzy of growling and snapping at Missy.  Honey is very jealous when Missy invades her territory and claims my attention.  So there is a kind of sibling rivalry even in the animal world.
     Anyone who has ever been in a family where there is more than one child has either participated in sibling rivalry or observed it.  When a new baby comes into a family where there is already another child, it is anticipated that the older child will have some feelings of jealousy toward the newcomer. I was the older child in my family, and about a week after my brother was born I asked my mother when we were going to take him back!  Jealousy is the nature of human nature.  But, while jealousy is a characteristic of the natural man, it is not a spiritual attribute.  It is not a lovely quality.  To be jealous is to be resentful and envious of something someone else has.  To be envious is to desire another person's advantages, possessions, or attainment.  It is to be discontented because someone else has something you lack but want.
     In the story of Cain and Abel we see jealousy taken to the extreme of murder.  While we would probably not kill someone because of envy, we may well harbor some dark, murderous thoughts that cause unrest in our souls and greatly displease God.  Discontentment with what we have been given is actually a criticism of God and His provisions for us.  It shows our dissatisfaction with our Heavenly Father to Whom we owe life and breath and every good gift.  It reveals a great lack of appreciation on our part.  If there is any root of jealousy, envy, resentment, or discontentment in your life right now, won't you ask God to clean it out and replace it with a thankful heart?

Father, may we have grateful hearts for all Your goodness to us.  Amen.